RELUCTANT HERO
by Donna McIntosh
Summary: A vicious storm wipes out most of Riverton. Ennis survives but loses everything he owns with the exception of his horses.


Title: RELUCTANT HERO

Author: Donna McIntosh

Fandon: Brokeback Mountain

Genre: Slash

Rating: R

Disclainer: Brokeback Mountain and all its characters belong to Annie Proulx. I make no money from these stories.

Beta: Thanks for your help again, Mike!

Saturday morning Ennis stood around and waited patiently as Earl Biggins completed the oil change on his pickup. He had been coming to Earl's since he had first moved to Riverton, and had grown to rely on him in all things related to his pickup. Earl always let him wait until the first of the month when he got paid to take care of his bill. Not many places around let people do that any more.

A cool breeze was blowing, and Ennis drew his jacket close around him, buttoning it half way up. He looked up at the sky at the strange clouds swirling overhead. He had never seen clouds like that before and he couldn't take his eyes off them. Another gust of wind, this time a lot stronger, buffeted him and he leaned back against the building. It began to rain then, strong stiff pellets that stung when they hit. Ennis stepped back inside just as Earl came up out of the pit beneath Ennis' truck.

"Hell of a wind!" Earl said wiping his hands on a dirty rag, and at that same moment the noise started. The wind was howling like nothing Ennis had ever heard before, and dust and debris began to whirl around outside. Suddenly, everything was darkness and the windows of the gas station blew in with an ear-splitting crash.

"Jesus!" Earl said, not knowing what to do; which way to run for cover, as everything was blowing in on them.

"The pit!" Ennis yelled and grabbed Earl by the arm, and drug him down into the pit where the two of them huddled. The roar was deafening, and they were being pelted with all sorts of things flying around in all directions.

When it finally passed, and there was silence again, Ennis opened his eyes and saw sky overhead. He stepped over twisted pieces of metal and broken glass, and climbed out of the pit and looked around. Through the mist of light rain, he could see that everything was gone. Where buildings once stood nothing was left but the bare ground and bits of rubble strewn around. Somebody's screen door lay in the middle of the street, a dish towel still tucked into the handle and flapping in the breeze. It took him a minute to realize that not only was his truck gone, but the entire gas station was gone as well.

"What the hell happened?" Earl came up beside him and asked.

"Don't know. Must a been a twister or somethin." Ennis said as he looked in every direction and saw not a single building standing.

"My wife!" Earl wailed and took off running.

Ennis stood dumbfounded not knowing what to do. He started walking. Street after street showed the same devastation. Some areas were full of rubble, others were totally bare where buildings had stood just a short time before. A few people were standing around in shock. He didn't know what he should be doing so he headed for the trailer park. When he got to the turn off he noticed the ground; even the grass was gone. Not a fence was standing, not a building, not the office where he went each month to pay his rent, and not a single trailer!

He looked around and saw nothing—not a trailer, a person, or an automobile. He took a few steps back to the main road thinking maybe he was at the wrong turn off. No, this was the right place. The ground was scraped bare, just bits and pieces of things here and there. He stood for a moment wondering what he should do. He started walking again and headed out towards the ranch. It was twelve miles but he didn't know what else to do. Riverton appeared to be more or less wiped out from what he saw, and the trailer park was gone. He figured he might as well see if the ranch got hit, and he wanted to check on his horses. Since he didn't have his truck, he'd at least have his horses to get around on.

All along the way the sights became worse and worse. Part of a roof lay in the middle of the street, a broken chair dangled from a tree that had been blown down. He walked on and on. A dog lay at the side of the road. He stopped and put his hand on the brown fur but there was no life there. He walked on. He saw dead birds, a cow grotesquely twisted among some pieces of machinery; it's dead eyes staring skyward. An empty baby carriage lay in the middle of the road.

He began to worry more and more about his horses, the closer he got to the ranch. Fields were littered with pieces of wood, rags, broken glass. Bits of buildings, fences, machinery were everywhere. Not a fence stood upright; a few were left bent over. He saw a tea cup sitting in the middle of the road. He stared at it for a moment and bent to pick it up. Not a crack or a chip! The delicate pink flowers were clean and bright. How did this little cup make it here intact? He couldn't figure it out. He couldn't figure anything out. He placed it back where he found it.

He stood and looked around and realized that he wasn't too far from the ranch. Just around the next corner up ahead was the entrance to the ranch. He decided to cut across the field. The closer he got the more panicky he got. He hurried on and stopped when he came to a small foundation. This had been one of the outbuildings where some of their tools had been kept. He knew he would be able to see the ranch house just up over the next rise and he took off running, scanning the area as he went hoping to see something or maybe one of the other hands, someone he knew. He stumbled and fell flat. A suitcase was lying there on the bare ground where the day before the grass was nearly knee-high. He picked it up, thinking it might belong to the ranch owner, Mr. Cole.

He ran on, and stopped dead in his tracks when he reached the rise. Nothing! There was nothing there. The house was gone, the barn was gone, the stables gone. His horses! Damn! Damn! Damn! He sank to the ground gasping for air. His horses gone? He had nothing left! Nothing! He couldn't stop the tears then and let them flow freely. What the hell happened? His entire life had just been pulled out from under him!

He sat and fiddled with the suitcase handle. It was an old case, he noticed; needing to set his mind to something other than his loss. In fact the case was _really_ old. He doubted that it belonged to the Coles. Probably someone else nearby. He decided to open it and see if he could find a name. He flipped the two latches and lifted the lid. If he hadn't already been sitting down, he would have fallen over. The entire case was crammed full of money! Stacks and stacks of hundred dollar bills rubber-banded together.

Ennis squeezed his eyes tight and rubbed them. Surely he didn't just find a suitcase filled with money. His imagination must be running wild. Or maybe it was him—maybe he was going mad. None of this can have happened. None of it. Surely Riverton was still intact; his trailer was still there with his two beers left in the fridge. He raised his head and looked around. Nothing. Nothing was standing but a few broken trees at the far side of the field. He stared at them for a few minutes and thought he saw movement. Something or someone had survived.

He jumped up and yelled, "Hey! Over here!" He waved his arms. Another bit of movement and he saw half a dozen horses. He let out a whistle that he had always used to call his horses, and two horses left the pack and came running towards him.

His horses! They were alive! They ran up to him, nudging him happily. He patted their muzzles and hugged their necks as he checked them out. They had a few cuts and abrasions and one of them had a huge goose-egg on the side of his head where something had struck him.

He leaned against his horse, light headed. He knew he was breathing too fast and struggled to slow it down. He took deep breaths and wiped the wetness from his cheeks. He knew he should do something but, again, he didn't know what. He would have slid to the ground but he clutched a hand full of mane as blackness swirled and eddied and threatened his consciousness.

After a few unsteady moments he regained his composure. He didn't like riding bare-back but he had no choice. He gave a little jump and managed to mount. He started to leave but knew it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to keep both horses together without a lead rope. He noticed a section of venetian blinds lying in the field a short distance away. He slid down off the horse and went over. He cut the long cord loose and cut it in two pieces; tying one to each horse's halter. He started to mount again when he spied the suitcase. He thought about it for a moment then reached down and picked it up. He couldn't very well leave it in the middle of an empty field. He'd have to worry about finding the owner later. Right now he felt like he should head back to Riverton and see just how much devastation had occurred. Up on one horse, with the suitcase in front of him, and leading the other horse, he headed back towards town.

Riverton was as bad, if not worse, than he remembered it. He did see a few more people milling around but no one spoke to him as he rode slowly by. Down town was half gone a few of the older brick and stone buildings were still standing. He had a momentary thought that he should probably check on Alma, but decided to let her grocery store husband look after her, and he rode on.

He didn't have much thought as to where he was going, he just kept on riding until he was in the small town of Arapahoe. The little town was completely untouched by the storm and seemed unaware that anything had happened. He spied a phone booth in the parking lot of a gas station and stopped. He needed to call Jack. Jack would know what he should do. He dug in his pocket and got a few coins. He dialed 'O' and asked the operator to place a collect call for him and gave her Jack's number.

"Twist Residence," He could hear Jack's voice before the operator came back on.

"I have a collect call for Jack Twist from Ennis del Mar in Arapahoe, Wyoming. Will you accept the charges?" The operator said.

Jack immediately agreed. "Ennis? Ennis?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, Jack. Listen... I got me some big trouble here. I just wanted you to know that I'm all right. Nothin happened to me. I'm just fine."

"What? What's happened?" Jack asked quickly, knowing whatever happened must be big as Ennis hadn't called him since that fiasco years ago when he called about his divorce and Jack had misunderstood and took off for Wyoming.

"A storm, Jack. A twister, I guess. It wiped out Riverton."

"What? You're kiddin!" Jack couldn't believe it.

"No kiddin, Jack. I wouldn't call you and tell you somethin like that if it wasn't true."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Uh huh. I was at the gas station gettin an oil change for my truck when it hit. Things started flying around, glass was breakin and we run down in the pit till it was over. When I come out... Jack... everythin was gone! The buildings, the cars, the people – there's a few left but most everythin and everyone is just... gone."

"Jesus Christ, Ennis! And you're not hurt? You didn't get hit by anythin?" Jack was edging into panic.

"I'm fine. I saw this pay phone in a gas station parking lot, so I figured I'd best give you a call."

"Well, what about your trailer? Did it get hit?" Jack asked.

"It's gone, Jack. Don't know where it is."

"Well, where you gonna go? What's you gonna do?" Jack asked.

"Don't know. I'm kind a... I don't know... confused, I guess." Ennis answered as truthfully as he could before adding, "I got my horses though. I walked out to the ranch, and it's gone too. But I found the horses. I whistled and they come runnin."

"Maybe you need to see a doctor. You might have taken a hit in the head and don't even know it. That could cause your confusion." Jack suggested.

"Nah; I'm fine. I just wish I knew what I was supposed to do. I know I should be doin somethin... I just don't know what. What should I do, Jack? You got any ideas?"

"Where are you then? What about the motel there? Is it still standing? Maybe you could get a room."'

"I rode down Main Street and didn't see no motel. Didn't see much of anythin so I headed on through and didn't stop until I got to Arapahoe, about five miles west a town."

"There's not much in that little town." Jack tried to remember the place but couldn't recall anything much being there.

"Jesus, Jack. I'm scared." Ennis said so low that Jack wasn't even sure he heard right. "I ain't never been this scared in my life! I know I should be doin somethin; but I just don't know what. Can you tell me, Jack? What am I supposed to do?"

"Ennis... Ennis. You said you were in front of a gas station? What else is there in that little town? They got a motel there?"

"Nah. Just a couple gas stations, a general store, a little grocery store, and a few other buildings. I was gonna stop and get some bread and maybe some peanut butter, but I don't have nothin but some change on me. Not enough to buy nothin. I was wonderin, do you think it would be all right if I used some of the money in the suitcase? I'd pay it back once I got back to work."

"Ennis, what are you talking about? What suitcase? What money?"

"The suitcase I found full a money. I was gonna turn it in to the police station, but when I got back to Riverton, the police station was gone, and I didn't see no policemen around to give it to. I figured I'd best hold on to it till I found the owner. Didn't I tell you that all ready?"

"No, Ennis, you didn't. You mean to say that you're riding around horseback carryin a suitcase full a money?"

"Uh huh. What else could I do with it? I couldn't just leave it in the middle of the field." Ennis explained.

"And it's actually full of money? Cash money?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh. Looks like all hundred-dollar bills. Rubber-banded together. Must be thousands and thousands a dollars here. You reckon it'd be all right if I used some of it to buy some food?" Ennis asked.

"Are you sure it's real?" Jack asked.

"Looked real to me." Ennis said.

"Does anyone else know what you're carryin around?" Jack asked.

"No. I ain't talked to no one but you." Ennis assured him.

"I can't see that it would hurt using a little of the money." Jack said. "There will probably be a reward when you turn it in anyway, so you might as well use it now when you need it."

"That's what I was thinkin." Ennis agreed.

"Be careful though, Ennis. Don't let anyone see what you got in that case, or they might just knock you in the head and steal it."

"Yeah, I been thinkin about that. They got a bathroom on the side a the building here. I think I'll go in there and take some money out. Then hit the grocery and get me some bread."

"Good idea, Cowboy." Jack agreed as he paced the floor.

"Jack?" Ennis' voice was almost a whisper.

"Yeah?" Jack asked.

"What do I do then?" Ennis asked. "I mean, where do I go? What should I do? I got no truck, I got no place to live, I got no job."

Jack's heart ached by the pitiful, lost sound in Ennis' voice. He knew immediately what he was going to do! "If I remember correctly, there's a state park near there; isn't there?"

"Yeah; southwest a here some." Ennis answered.

"How far is that from where you are right now?" Jack asked.

"Maybe twenty miles at most." Ennis answered.

"Go there; but first I want you to go to that general store. Get yourself some campin gear and enough food for the rest of the day."

"Jack, I'm on horseback. I ain't even got a saddle. I can't carry all that stuff."

"It's May so you won't need a whole lot. That general store ought to have saddle bags, and maybe even a sleepin bag. Get what you can carry and I'll be there by morning and help you decide what to do next."

"You mean it, Jack? You comin up here to help me?" Ennis asked.

"You bet I am! I got a couple things to do here first, then I'll be on my way."

"Oh Jack! I'm so glad to hear that. I know you was just up here for our trip a few weeks ago. You sure it's all right you comin up again this quick?"

"Absolutely! You need some help. What kind of friend would I be if I just sat here and did nothin?" Jack asked.

"I really need you, Bud. My head's kind a fuzzy like. Can't seem to think too good." Ennis said.

"All right now, you got it straight what you're supposed to do when we hang up the phone?" Jack asked.

"Yep. I'm goin in the restroom and take out a hundred dollar bill and then headin over to the General Store. Don't know what I can get for a hundred but I ought to be able to come up with enough to get me through till you show up."

"That's right." Jack said, relieved that Ennis seemed a little more able to think clearly. "One more thing." Jack added. "Take two or three of those hundreds out. Make that five. Maybe you can find a saddle. I'll bring enough cash along that we can replace whatever you have to spend."

"I sure could use a saddle. I hate ridin bare-back and it don't do the horse's poor back no good neither."

"Get whatever you need and don't worry none about the money. Get yourself some gear and head on over to that campground at the state park. I'll be there for breakfast and help you decide what to do next."

"Ah Jack! I don't suppose nobody ever had a better friend than you!" Ennis breathed a grateful sigh of relief.

"See you in the mornin, Cowboy. You take care a yourself till I get there."

"I will. Bye, Jack."

"Bye."

x x x x

Inside the restroom, with the door locked, Ennis placed the suitcase on the sink, released the two latches and lifted the lid. He pulled five bills out of one stack and noticed that it hardly made a dent in the bundle in his hand. He pulled out another few bills. Hopefully, that would be enough to get him a saddle as well as enough other stuff he'd need. He folded the bills over stuffed them into his wallet, closed the case, and stepped back outside. He untied the horses from where he had secured them to some bushes, mounted the one he called Blackie, and headed down the street towards the general store.

The parking lot in front of the general store was empty, Ennis tied the horses to the metal pipe fencing that outlined the parking lot and walked inside, carrying the suitcase with him. He was relieved that the clerk was reading a newspaper and barely looked up at him.

"Howdy," the man behind the counter said before adding, "You need help, or can you find what you need yourself? I got me a busted ankle and don't do any more walkin than I have to."

"Not a problem." Ennis said as he sat the suitcase down in front of the counter. "I can find what I need." He was relieved that there were no other customers. He left the case where it was and walked the few steps over to a display holding several saddles. Most of them were too costly, but at the end of the row he found a used one for $250. He picked it up, checked it out, and carried it over to the counter.

"I'll take this one." He said as the clerk started to write it up. "I need a bunch a other stuff too, so how about I just bring it over here and stack it up, and you can write it down as I go?" He pulled the price tag off the saddle and handed it to the man.

"Sounds good to me, fella. Help yourself." The clerk agreed and went back to his reading.

Ennis placed the saddle on top of the suitcase, covering it almost completely from sight. Thirty minutes later he had a huge stack of gear piled up including, saddle blankets for both horses, reins and lead ropes, anti-biotic salve for their few minor wounds, a grooming brush, saddlebags, a mule pack, tent, sleeping bag, camp stove and cookware, flashlight, two large oval dish pans and a few toiletries. The only food he bought was a jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread. He also bought a bag of oats for the horses. His purchases took a good deal of his wad of cash, but Jack told him not to worry about it, so he didn't.

He hauled everything out front and started loading. He first put a saddle blanket on each horse; patting and talking to each of them to settle their nervous side stepping at all the new smells. Next he placed the saddle on Blackie, adjusting the stirrups and tightening the cinch. Then came the mule pack on Socks, his other horse. The white canvas contraption had two large 'pockets' on either side with fabric extending between and long straps to secure underneath the horse's belly. There were also several ties to attach other items. First thing he added was the suitcase in one pocket, closing the flap as much as he could which covered about half of it, and tied it closed; relieved that the case was safely out of sight. The other pocket he filled with the camp stove and cookware after removing them from their cardboard boxes. He pulled the large canvas tent out of the box, opened it on the ground and placed the two dish pans plus the tent poles in the center and rolled it all up, strapping it across the mule pack on Socks' back. The bag of oats was tied on behind the tent. He attached the saddle bags on behind the saddle on Blackie, adding the sleeping bag on top. The toiletries, peanut butter, and flashlight he added in the saddlebags, the bread he tied on the mule pack in front of the tent.

He gathered the litter of cardboard boxes, stuffed them in the trash barrel at the side of the building, mounted up, and rode off slowly. Once away from the buildings, he broke into a lope, heading southwest towards the state park. His purchases complete and a specific destination ahead of him, he lapsed into a strange mood. He refused to think about what happened and concentrated on his goal—getting to the campground.

It had been some time since he had been to the park, and he was looking forward to it. There was just something about camping out that touched him. Nothing made him more comfortable than being outside, in the woods with his horses, and Jack beside him. Jack would be there soon, and everything would be all right; Jack would know what to do.

He stopped at the entrance, paid his entrance fee and headed out to find a campsite. He found one close by the restrooms that had plenty of greenery around to secure the horses and for them to munch on. He unloaded everything and stacked it all on the table provided at each campsite.

He saw to his horses, first of all. He carried the dishpans over to the spigot outside the restrooms and filled them with water, for the thirsty horses, who promptly drank their fill. He then started with the grooming brush and brushed each one down completely, and treating all the little cuts. With that accomplished, each horse was given a pan of oats and Ennis started on his tent. It was a much larger tent, at twelve by twelve, than he would have normally bought, but it was the only one left at the General Store other than the tiny little two-man pup-tents, and he didn't want one that small as he had no idea how long he was going to be living in it.

Once he got the tent up, he made himself two peanut butter sandwiches, which he devoured; washing it down with water from the spigot. Once his campsite was set up, he took a walk over to the tiny campground store behind the office. There he purchased a Styrofoam ice chest, a bag of ice, a package of hot dogs, a pack of balonga, bacon and eggs, coffee, a six pack of beer and a carton of cigarettes.

Back at his campsite, he sat at the table and waited. He kept his mind mostly blank and thought of little past his horses, his campsite, and Jack coming. He smoked cigarette after cigarette as he waited and watched as the campsites nearby filled up, one by one. People were milling around; talking, crying. He tried to blot it all out, but every now and then he'd hear "Riverton" in the conversations and work even harder to concentrate on his horses, his new tent, and Jack.

A couple of times he went into his tent, zipping the door shut, and tried to sleep. His new sleeping bag was comfortable but sleep wouldn't come, and back out to sit at the table he'd go. He was still sitting there at dawn when Jack walked up. Ennis didn't move, he sat frozen in place, listening to the radio blaring from two sites over, talking about the disaster in Riverton, as the body count seemed to rise by the hour.

"Ennis?" Jack walked around in front of him, but Ennis never looked up.

"Hey Jack." Ennis said, and took a drag on his cigarette.

"You okay?" Jack asked as he sat at the table across from Ennis.

"Uh huh." Ennis answered in his trance like state.

"You got any coffee?" Jack asked, not really needing any, but trying to come up with something to get Ennis moving.

Ennis stood and walked over to his horses; patting each of them in turn. When Jack came up beside him Ennis said, "I got a look after my horses, Jack. They need me to see to them."

Jack reached out and patted each horse. "They look fine, Ennis. How about that coffee?"

"No; I don't want none." Ennis said as he sat back down at the table, and stared off into the distance.

Jack didn't know what to do. Ennis was obviously in shock. "Ennis?" Jack asked, "Show me your tent and the rest of the gear you got. How did you get it all here on horseback?"

Ennis got up, took the few steps over to the tent and stepped inside. Jack followed him in.

"I got a sleepin bag, some stuff for the horses..." Ennis said and hardly moved as Jack slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer.

"Ennis, you know who I am?" Jack asked.

"Uh huh. Jack Twist," Ennis answered.

"You know you can trust me. I come here to help you; right?"

"Uh huh." Ennis said; but his expression never changed, and he had yet to look Jack in the eyes.

"You're in shock. I need to check you over to see if you're hurt." Jack explained.

"Okay." Ennis agreed.

Jack reached over and helped Ennis remove his jacket. He noted a few torn places on Ennis' shirt where a little blood showed through. He unsnapped the shirt and lowered it down off Ennis' arms. He removed the undershirt and began to check Ennis out. All he found were minor injuries that had already scabbed over, and some large bruises, one on his upper arm and one on his back. Nothing seemed serious so Jack helped him put his shirts back on.

"I wanna check your head. Looks like you got a bump on your forehead." Jack said as he noticed a few scrapes here and there on Ennis' face, and a large bruise on his cheek.

Ennis lowered his head and Jack worked his finger tips through the tousled straw-colored hair and did indeed find another bump on the back of Ennis' head. "That hurt?" He asked as he fingered it.

"Nah. I'm fine." Ennis pulled back, reached down, and picked up the can of coffee, went out and started fixing it as Jack watched him closely.

A while later as they sat at the table sipping hot coffee, someone at the next campsite began to wail; beyond consolation from his companions. They sat him at their table and he continued to moan and cry out his pain.

Jack looked at Ennis and saw tears running down his face.

"Jack?" Ennis barely whispered the name. "Get me out a here. Please, please, get me out a here."

Jack hurried to his side, with an arm around him, he helped Ennis over to his truck, opened the door and helped him inside. He went around back, unhooked the second truck that he'd been towing behind, got in beside Ennis, and drove off. He drove for about fifteen minutes before he came upon a highway rest stop and pulled off the road and parked.

Ennis sat beside him, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I'm here, Cowboy." Jack said and reached for him, pulling Ennis into his arms. "I'm here, and everything's gonna be all right, I promise you."

An agonizing cry of anguish, and Ennis sagged against him, sobbing his heart out. It was some time before he was able to speak, and what he managed to get out didn't make a whole lot of sense.

"The radio... hundreds, Jack! Gone! People... the ranch..."

All Jack could do was hold him and keep repeating, "I know. I heard it on the radio on the way up. It's real bad. But you made it; you're all right. And I'm here now, and I'm going to see to you."

After a while, Ennis got control of himself, pulled back and lit a cigarette with shaking hands. "I don't know what to do, Jack. What am I gonna do?"

"We don't have to worry about none of that right this minute. We need to get ourselves out a that park. It's too close to Riverton, and too many people are there."

"We got no place to go, Jack! No place!" Ennis shook his head as he rocked back and forth in despair.

"Yes, we do!" Jack said with a tug on Ennis' arm. "We got the whole state a Wyomin! All we need to do is pick a place."

"I got no truck and I got a find a job, but there ain't gonna be none around Riverton; not for a long time." Ennis pleaded miserably.

"You got a truck now." Jack announced. "I brought you mine."

"Jack, I can't take your truck."

"I bought a new one yesterday after you phoned me. Lureen's been after me to get a new one. She drives a new car every year, and hates it that I that I don't do the same."

"But, Jack—your truck ain't but three or four years old."

"I know, and it don't have all that much mileage on it. Never had a lick a trouble with it so you probably won't neither. I bought this one, and towed the other one up here for you. You think you can drive?"

"Sure I can drive!" Ennis answered quickly.

It pleased Jack that Ennis seemed to be coming around a little. "Good. We're almost to Lander. What do you say we go on in and see if we can find a horse trailer? Then we can head back to the park, pack up your stuff and we'll just head clean out a this entire area."

Ennis shook his head vigorously, yes; so Jack started up the truck and they took off for Lander.

In less than an hour, they found a trailer, and had it hitched up to the back of Jack's new truck, and they headed back to the park.

"I don't care where we go as long as it's far away from Riverton." Ennis said as they drove into the park and stopped by his campsite.

"We won't worry about any particular destination right now. Let's just get packed and get out a here." Jack said as they set about breaking camp and loading things in the back of the two pickups. Lastly, they loaded up the horses with Jack driving the truck with the horses, and Ennis following along behind.

"You sure you're all right to drive?" Jack asked as they stopped an hour later to gas up in Muddy Gap.

"I'm fine," Ennis assured him. "The further away from Riverton I get, the better."

"Okay. There's not too much traffic, and conditions are good. I am gettin tired though; I drove all night, remember?" Jack said as he returned the gas pump to it's upright position, and put the cap back on his gas tank.

"I'm pretty tired myself." Ennis agreed. "You wanna stop somewhere?"

"There's a campground up the road about twenty miles. How about we stop there for the night? We can heat up some of those hot dogs you got, and figure out what direction we want to head tomorrow."

"Sounds good to me." Ennis agreed.

x x x x

They set up camp and heated the hot dogs. They each ate two before exhaustion overtook them, and they decided to sleep for a while. Jack woke up some time later—alone. He turned the lantern on, pulled his boots on, grabbed his jacket and hurried outside.

"Ennis?" Jack called out as he scanned the moon-lit area before seeing Ennis standing next to his horses, and walking over to him.

"I got a see to my horses, Jack." Ennis mumbled quietly.

"The horses are fine, Cowboy. Let's go back inside. It's chilly." Jack said as he noticed that Ennis was in his stocking feet, and without his jacket.

Ennis followed him back into the tent, but wouldn't lie down. He sat on his sleeping bag. "I saw a tea cup, Jack." He said as he stared off into the distance. "It had a pink flower on it. It wasn't broken or dirty or nothin."

Jack stared at him, not knowing what to do. He knew Ennis was in shock, but he also knew that Ennis would hate it if he took him to a hospital.

"I'm really tired." Ennis said as he rubbed his forehead and finally lay down.

"It's the middle of the night. What do you say, we get a little more sleep?" Jack said as he climbed into the sleeping bag beside him. He was beyond exhausted, but lay there awake for a long time listening to Ennis soft snore before he allowed himself to relax enough to doze off.

When next Jack awoke, it was light outside and Ennis was sitting by the tent door peering out.

"Bud," Ennis said when he noticed that Jack was awake, "I need to get to work. Mr. Cole's gonna wonder where I am."

Jack sat up and reached for his cigarettes, lit one and drew deeply on it before saying, "Ennis... do you remember what happened?"

"Huh?" Ennis frowned at the question.

"Riverton. Do you remember what happened? The storm?" Jack asked him.

Ennis struggled to remember. Slowly he reached for his boots, pulled them on, grabbed his jacket and walked out into the early morning.

Jack did the same and followed him out; joining him on the log beside the empty fire pit.

"I... I guess I forgot." Ennis stuttered out. "Things are all kind a mixed up."

"Ennis, you really should see a doctor." Jack suggested.

"No!" Ennis was adamant. "I ain't hurt. I'm just... a little confused."

"You could have a concussion. You took a couple a pretty good knocks on that hard head a yours."

"No; I don't have no concussion." Ennis insisted. "I'm just... I need some coffee."

"I could use some coffee myself." Jack agreed and set about fixing a pot, while Ennis saw to his horses, getting them fresh water.

Later as they sat and sipped their coffee Jack asked, "You hungry? I see you got breakfast fixings."

"Nah. I just wanna go." Ennis said, then paused and asked, "Jack? Where we headed?"

"We haven't talked about that yet." Jack said as he started loading their things into the pick ups.

Ennis said nothing more, but pitched in and helped dismantle camp. All loaded up, they stood beside the horse trailer.

"You trust me, Cowboy?" Jack gave a persuasive grin.

"Sure do, Bud." Ennis answered.

"Casper is about fifty miles, and they got a Denny's there that makes the best breakfast you ever had."

Ennis gave a little smile thinking Jack was always hungry.

"It's not good to make important decisions on an empty stomach or when you're … a little confused." Jack explained. "We get a good breakfast in us, and we'll both have clearer heads."

"Sounds good." Ennis agreed.

"Good. Good." Jack said and gave Ennis' shoulder a squeeze. "You sure you're okay to be drivin? You're not dizzy; your vision isn't blurry?"

"I'm fine, Jack. I just get confused once in a while, but I can sure enough still drive."

"Okay. Follow me then." Jack said and climbed into his truck.

Ennis followed him and in less than an hour they pulled into Denny's and parked. They had just entered, and were waiting to be seated, when someone called out, "Ennis! Hey, del Mar!" and some guy came out of the dining area, and grabbed him.

"Huh?" Ennis shied back towards Jack in surprise. He didn't know anyone in Casper—not since his sister passed away years ago, and her husband moved back to Ohio.

"It's me! Butch Foster!" The man grinned at him, and Ennis relaxed when he recognized him as one of the ranch hands he worked with out at Cole's ranch.

Ennis gave a little grunt, and embraced him. "Butchie! I thought you was gone... like every one else."

"Nah. Me and Narvel were here in Casper when it hit. I got a call from my brother that he had busted his leg and I come up here to help out. My old truck quit on me and Nar give me a ride." He stopped talking when the other guy showed up.

"Ennis! So glad you made it!" Narvel Elliot said as he pounded Ennis on the shoulder enthusiastically. "Been hearin all about you on TV, how you saved Earl Biggin's life durin the storm. You're a real hero!"

"Shit, Nar. I ain't no hero. I just shoved him down in the pit. Anybody else would a done the same."

"It's all over the TV, Ennis. Earl and his wife have been interviewed by all the TV stations and they're all sayin you're a hero." Butch confirmed and at that very moment the little TV over the lunch counter was talking about the storm, and Earl's face filled the screen. "I'd a been blowed away like everyone else if it hadn't a been for Ennis del Mar. He saved my life!" Earl was so choked up he could hardly speak to the man with the microphone who was droning on... "And there you have it; a testimony of true heroics in the midst of this unspeakable tragedy..." The more he spoke, the more Ennis became numb. "...and Mr. del Mar, where ever you are, we'd love an interview with you to thank you personally for your acts of bravery..."

Ennis bolted for the door, with Jack right behind him, catching up to him as Ennis stopped next to the horse trailer, leaning against it, looking as though he might pass out at any minute. Jack slid an arm around his waist and managed to maneuver Ennis into the passenger seat, then got into the drivers seat beside him.

Ennis was in a bad way. "I ain't no fuckin hero, Jack!" he gasped out; every word an effort.

"It don't matter what they say, Ennis. None of it matters." Jack tried to reassure him. None of it did matter now; at least not to him. He had to get Ennis out of there, and get him somewhere peaceful and quiet, where he could forget for a little while; and he knew Ennis was no longer in any condition to drive. Jack lit a cigarette and tried to think while he watched Ennis struggle to pull himself together.

While glancing around the area, his eye caught something that gave him an idea. "Ennis, I need to go down the street for a few minutes. You wait right here for me?"

"I wanna go, Jack! Can't we just leave?" Ennis pleaded.

"That's what I'm workin on, Cowboy. About a block down the street is one a those Public Storage places. I'm gonna take your truck down there, pay for a couple a months, and leave it. We'll pick it up later on after we decide things. When I get back, we'll take off. I'm thinkin the Big Horns. Won't nobody bother us up there. What do you think?"

"Big Horns?" Ennis visibly brightened. "Let's just go now, Jack. Please, can we go right now?"

"Won't take me but thirty minutes or so. You just sit right here and wait for me. Better yet, lay down here on the front seat and rest. That way no one will see you if they come lookin for you while I'm gone."

"You'll hurry right back?" Ennis said as he gave a worried look towards the front door of the restaurant.

"I promise." Jack gave him a grin and reached for the keys which Ennis handed to him. "First I gotta unload your truck and get everything in this one, then I'm off." He didn't wait for any further discussion and jumped out, and began moving things from one truck to the other. When he finished he stuck his head back in to tell Ennis he was off, and was glad to see that Ennis was already lying down.

"Just hurry!" Was all Ennis said, and Jack promised again that he would.

In less that thirty minutes he was back and Ennis jumped, really startled, when Jack unlocked the door and climbed in.

"Can we go now?" Ennis pleaded.

The weariness and fear in Ennis' eyes and voice nearly broke Jack's heart, and he was glad for the thousandth time that he had come to Wyoming as quickly as he had. "We are out of here!" Jack said as he gave one last look at Dennys and his empty stomach growled.

On the north side of Casper, he pulled into a gas station. "Won't take but a few minutes." Jack explained. "I'll gas up, grab a few things inside, and we're off for the Big Horns." He was relieved when Ennis gave him a nod of acceptance.

Jack began fueling and went inside. He came out minutes later carrying a double arm load of groceries which he loaded into the back seat on top of his luggage and went back in for a second load. He grabbed up a bag of ice from the machine, dumped it into the ice chest, and dug through the groceries and pulled out several items and placed them inside. One last trip back and he picked up four bundles of fire wood from the display at the front of the store, and found a place to cram them in the back.

He returned the fuel hose to it's original position, hopped back into the driver's seat. He twisted around and pulled a box of powdered doughnuts out. He offered some to Ennis, but he just shook his head 'no'. Jack gobbled one down, started the truck, and they were off. Ennis spoke not one word for the next hundred miles, but an occasional grunt in answer to something Jack said.

In Buffalo, Jack pulled off the highway, and into a fast food drive-through. "We need to eat." he said as he ordered two large burgers, fries and drinks.

Ennis only grunted but wasn't at all happy to be stopping.

The food came, Jack pulled into a parking spot, and could barely get his burger unwrapped before he was devouring it. His meal was nearly gone before he noticed that Ennis hadn't touched his.

"Ennis!"

Ennis jumped at hearing his name, and he gave Jack a questioning look.

"You need to eat." Jack scolded. "You want to end up in worse shape than you already are? It'll be to the doctors then for sure!"

Ennis picked up his burger, and forced himself to take a bite.

"Good." Jack said. "Now take another bite. You start eating and I'll start driving."

Ennis took another bite, and Jack started the truck. When he didn't take a third bite, he turned to see Jack watching him and knew that Jack was serious.

"Eat and we're off to find our favorite camp site." Jack promised, and reached over and snagged one of Ennis' French fries. "These are really good."

Ennis took a fry and ate it.

Jack pulled out and headed up into the Big Horn mountains. Up and up they went, every mile higher in elevation. He took the dirt road trail that led off the main road and towards their favorite spot, deep into the forest. As Jack drove, Ennis nibbled until his burger and fries were gone.

"You know what we need?" Jack asked as he pulled to a stop and they began unloading their gear.

"Can't imagine." Ennis answered as he helped unload. "We never had this much stuff with us before."

"We need a bath and a shave." Jack said, as they struggled with the canvas to assemble the tent. "We ain't neither one a us cleaned up none since this whole thing... started."

"Ended, you mean." Ennis corrected him. "Ended for all those people. TV said hundreds. End of the world for them and for Riverton."

Jack didn't know what to say to that so he just kept on working until the tent was up, and their gear brought inside.

"What do you say, Cowboy? The sun's out. The water in that little cove should be nice and warm. Let's get cleaned up, shave and into some clean clothes."

"Jack... I got no clean clothes to change into. Everythin I had blew away with my trailer."

"I figured that." Jack said as he pulled out his two big suit cases, unlatched them and opened them out flat. "I brought enough for both a us. This one here is full a jeans on the bottom—all I could fit in—about eight pair, I think. And on the top here is sweat shirts. This other case is full a shorts, socks, T-shirts here on the bottom and the top has shirts. Plenty enough for both a us."

Ennis fingered the edge of the case, "Jack..." He didn't know what else to say.

"And I got my shave kit right here," Jack said as he pulled it out from under some socks. "And I saw that you bought a razor and stuff."

"Huh?" Ennis didn't know what Jack was talking about.

"In your saddle bags. I saw you bought a razor, and cream; and soap and towel and stuff. Let's get after it. What do you say?"

Ennis hand went to his chin and he felt the two days growth of whiskers. He could use a shave. What puzzled him was Jack's comment about saddle bags. He didn't own any saddle bags. 'Oh well' he thought. He could use a shave and a bath and he could ask Jack about the saddle bags later.

x x x x

They gathered their gear and headed for the cove. Shedding their clothes, they stepped into the luke-warm water and sat down on the rocky bottom; the water nearly to their shoulders. Jack set up his shaving mirror and they soaped up their faces first and began scraping whiskers. When they rinsed the remaining soap off, Jack stared at Ennis.

"What?" Ennis asked.

"You got one hell of a bruise there on your jaw. Don't it hurt?" Jack said, noticing for the first time, now that the whiskers were gone, that Ennis had a nasty bruise from his cheekbone down to his jaw where he had been struck by something.

Ennis took a look in Jack's mirror and gave a little shrug. "No, it don't hurt none."

They soaped up, rinsed off, climbed out, and dried off. Jack couldn't help but compare it to all the other times they had used this little pool to clean up in. This was the very first time that all they did was clean up. They pulled their boots on, wrapped their towels around their waists, grabbed up their stuff and headed back to their tent where they dressed quickly.

"You feel better after your bath? Jack asked as they finished dressing.

"I feel fine, Jack. There ain't nothin wrong with me 'cept I get a little confused now and then."

"Good; I'm glad. We need to talk, Cowboy." Jack said and no sooner got the words out of his mouth than Ennis scooted out of the tent.

"Let's take a ride." Ennis suggested and started saddling his horse. Jack stood, hands on hips, and just shook his head. He gave up, and got his saddle out for Socks, while Ennis saddled Blackie.

They rode for two hours before Ennis agreed to head back to camp. "Think I'll take me a nap." Ennis announced after he finished brushing down both horses while Jack started a fire and put a pot of coffee on.

"Now?" Jack asked. "It's almost dinner time."

"I ain't hungry. I just wanna sleep." Ennis said, and headed for the tent.

"Ennis—please! We need to talk!" Jack insisted.

"I don't wanna talk about it, Jack. I wanna sleep." Ennis said as he went on into the tent and pulled his boots off.

Jack followed him in, and sat across from him. "Ennis..."

Ennis rolled over, turning his back on Jack. "We can talk tomorrow or the next day... maybe."

"Okay." Jack sighed. "You don't have to talk, but you gotta listen to what I have to say."

"I don't wanna hear it!" Ennis raised his voice.

"More storms are comin!" Jack blurted out.

Ennis sat up, reached for his cigarettes, and lit one with shaking hands. He took a long drag on it before asking, "How do you know? It ain't cloudy and we're a long way from Riverton."

"When we were in gasin up, I heard it on the TV when I was inside the store." Jack answered.

"They said storms for Casper?" Ennis asked.

"No. They said severe storm warnings for this area, the day after tomorrow, and the next few days after that."

"Why'd you bring me up here for, if you knew more storms were comin?" Ennis asked angrily as he pulled on his boots.

"Cause I already told you I'd bring you here. And the storms ain't for a couple a days yet." Jack said as he followed Ennis outside.

"Whyn't you tell me? Why'd you let me think we'd be safe here?" Ennis paced as he spoke.

"I been tryin, but you wouldn't let me!" Jack fired back, and regretted his angry tone immediately.

"We need to break camp and get goin." Ennis said and started picking up their gear.

"Ennis, we're fine here for now. We can leave tomorrow if you want." Jack said.

"We should leave now." Ennis insisted. "Give us more time to get further away."

"I been thinkin about that, Cowboy." Jack took the lawn chair out of Ennis' hands, opened it up and pointed for Ennis to sit, before he pulled the other chair over so he could sit facing him. "Just how far away you think we should get?"

"I don't know." Ennis answered as he thought about it. "As far away from Riverton as we can get, I suppose."

"You willin to leave Wyomin?" Jack asked.

"I ain't goin to Texas, if that's what you're thinkin." Ennis fired back.

"Oh hell no!" Jack agreed and reached out and put a hand on Ennis' knee to assure him. "I'm thinkin north a here – Montana."

"Montana?" Ennis balked. "I don't know nothin about Montana."

"Well I do." Jack said. "And it's pretty much like Wyomin. Lots a farm and ranch land; lots a forests and streams to hunt and fish in, and the Rockies are there too."

"Yeah but … Montana. I don't know, Bud." Ennis wavered at the thought of leaving Wyoming.

"We could find us a place out in the country somewhere. Maybe rent for a bit to see if we like the area. Billings ain't but about 125 miles north a Sheridan and about 150 miles west a Billings is Bozeman. Maybe we could find us somethin in between. I'll bet no one up there ever even heard a Riverton."

"Jack, I gotta find me some work." Ennis reminded him.

"Montana's got as many ranches as Wyomin—more maybe. We could just find us a place to hunker down a while till we decide what we want to do." Jack suggested again.

"We do need to find a place. Some place that would be safe from killer storms." Ennis thought aloud.

"I ain't never heard a no tornadoes up in Montana." Jack said. "Course, that don't mean they don't have 'em up there too once in a while. And it gets a ton a snow, but all's you gotta do for that is make sure you have a good fireplace, stock up on firewood, and make sure to keep the pantry full."

"I ain't afraid a no snow storms," Ennis said.

"Or we could go clean across the country if you want—California or Florida." Jack offered.

"Shit—California's got them earth quakes and Florida's got hurricanes." Ennis said with a negative shake to his head.

"There's lots a other places too." Jack said. "The Dakotas, Nebraska, Colorado—lots a places; but I figure Montana is more like what you're used to; and it ain't all that far from where we are now."

"And they don't have no tornadoes up there?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know." Jack answered as honestly as he could. "I ain't never heard a none, but they could have some, I suppose. We could make sure we found us a place that'd be strong enough; somethin out a brick or stone maybe."

Ennis lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair looking a little more relaxed. "We could make it up there in a few hours?"

"Sure we could. I figured we'd find us a real estate place in Billings and see what's available around there" Jack answered.

"And it ain't but 125 miles from Sheridan?" Ennis asked.

"Just about that. I don't have my map with me, but it's close to that." Jack assured him.

"That ain't that far." Ennis nodded. "Why don't we leave now?"

"It'll be dark in a couple a hours. I'm sure there are probably campgrounds around Billings somewhere, but we'd be looking for it, and setting up camp in the dark. Why not stay here, have supper, get a good night's sleep, and head out after breakfast? We'd be long gone before the storm blows in."

"And you heard them say storms for The Big Horns?" Ennis asked.

"I heard him say severe storm warnings for all of Johnson and Big Horn Counties for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday." Jack said.

"By then we can be clean out a the state." Ennis said.

"That's right. By tomorrow afternoon, we can be in Montana lookin for us a place." Jack assured him.

"And you don't think they have no tornadoes in Montana?" Ennis asked again to be sure.

"Ennis, I can't promise that; I don't know for sure. I just never heard a none." Jack said. "I'll ask the real estate agent about the weather; see what he has to say. If it's a stormy area, we'll move on—and keep on movin on until we find us a safe place." Jack promised.

"I guess there ain't no place that's safe from everything." Ennis said.

"That's true enough." Jack agreed. "But we'll find us the safest place we can. I promise you that."

Ennis was at a loss for words then, and reached over, pulling Jack to his feet for a hug. "I knew you'd know what to do." He choked the words out with his face buried against Jack's shoulder. "I'm sorry I been... difficult."

"Ahh Cowboy..." Jack held him close. "I'm just so glad you're all right."

"Yeah, but I lost everythin, Jack. Ennis said as he pulled back to look Jack in the face. "I lost my truck, my trailer, my job..."

"You still got your horses; and you still got me." Jack gave him a little reassuring grin.

Ennis sighed and rested his head back on Jack's shoulder. "If I got you, Bud; I got all I'll ever need."

"I guess we're both all set then." Jack said as his stomach let out a loud rumble.

"I swear—you got that stomach a yours trained to do that?" Ennis chuckled.

"I am hungry," Jack said with a guilty little grin. "How about some dinner?"

"I could eat," Ennis agreed. "You promise me we'll leave first thing in the morning?"

"First thing—right after breakfast." Jack promised as he reached for the frying pan.

They cooked dinner together, cleaned the dishes afterwards, and went to bed early. Things were back to normal for them—almost. They lay together quietly in their zipped together sleeping bags, Ennis backed up against Jack's chest, and Jack holding him close, one leg slung over Ennis'.

"Jack? You okay with this? I mean... without us doin nothin?" Ennis asked.

"I'm fine, Cowboy. Let's just get some sleep so we can get an early start in the morning." He placed a kiss on Ennis' head and rested his cheek against the dark blond curls.

"I'm so glad you're here." Ennis whispered and hugged Jack's arm closer around him.

"Me too, Cowboy." Jack answered and there was no more conversation between them as they dozed off.

x x x x

"Hey, Cowboy. How you doin?" Jack asked as he joined Ennis who was leaning against the horse trailer the next morning in the real estate parking lot in Billings.

"What'd you find? They got anythin we can look at?" Ennis asked as he dropped his cigarette to the ground and stepped on it.

"They got one little place that might do. It's pretty small, only two hundred acres. He's callin the owners now to see of they'll agree to rent it for a spell. It ain't been worked in five years so it'll probably be a mess, and the house is made a stone. It's over a hundred years old, so it won't be goin no where in any storms. The owners did a lot of work on the place before the wife got sick and they had to move to a warmer climate. They were settin up to breed horses so its got a corral, a good barn and stables." Jack said.

"What'd you tell him? About me? About us?" Ennis asked as the old fears crept back into his thinking.

"The truth mostly—just stretched it a bit here and there." Jack answered and went on. "I told him we was cousins, and that I was goin through a divorce and movin back into the area from Texas. I told him you were from Riverton, divorced, and had two girls who lived out a state. I told him we were lookin for a place to rent for a while before we decide exactly where we want to set up."

"That ain't too far-fetched, I guess." Ennis agreed. "I just don't like people knowin our business."

"I don't neither, Cowboy, but you can't expect people to just hand over the keys to their place without knowin somethin about you."

"Yeah, I guess." Ennis agreed. "Couldn't you a just said I was from Sage? Did you have to tell him I was from Riverton?"

"He asked about your bruises." Jack explained. "His desk is right by that window there and he saw them when you got out a the truck to stretch your legs."

"It's that noticeable?" Ennis asked as he self-consciously put a hand to his bruised cheek and jaw.

"It sure is. Worse today than yesterday. It's kind a spreadin out. The whole side a your face is black and blue. Somethin must a got you a good one." Jack said then added, "Oh here he comes!" when he saw the real estate agent coming out the door juggling a set of keys. 

"How do you do?" Mr. Jennings, the real estate agent said after Jack introduced him to Ennis. "I was sorry to hear about your troubles in Riverton. I think you'll find this a real nice area to live in."

"The owners agree to rentin the place out?" Jack asked hopefully.

"They did. They also agreed to negotiate some on the price. I think you can get a good deal on this place if you decide you like it. The owners are extremely motivated to sell, and it's been on the market now for five years. We can go in my truck, or do you want to follow me?"

"We'll follow you. We don't like to leave the horses sittin still in the trailer for all that long. They'd rather be movin." Jack answered as he and Ennis climbed into the truck and pulled out behind Mr. Jennings.

x x x x

"Jack, you don't need to be doin this!" Ennis said later as he removed the wad of cash he found in his wallet as they prepared for bed later.

Jack was zipping their sleeping bags together in front of the fireplace in the ranch house they had just rented and looked up. "Huh? Doin what?" He asked as he sat on the hearth and poked at the fire.

"You don't need to be puttin money in my wallet." Ennis said, and dropped the folded over bills in Jack's lap.

Jack stared at him. He had hoped that Ennis' confusion had passed but, apparently, he was wrong.

"That ain't my money, Cowboy. That's your suitcase money. I guess you forgot." Jack handed the money back, but Ennis refused to take it.

"What the hell you talkin about—suitcase money?" Ennis asked.

"You're mysterious black suitcase you found." Jack gestured towards the old suitcase sitting with their gear.

"Suitcase? I ain't never owned a suitcase in my life." Ennis was thoroughly confused.

"You don't remember findin it?" Jack asked and wondered, once again, if he could get Ennis to agree to seeing a doctor.

"Jack—What are you talkin about? That old black suitcase? I thought it was yours? I never seen it before you showed up here with it. It ain't yours?"

"Ennis," Jack started out slowly, searching out his words carefully. "Come sit with me for a minute."

"I'm fine, Jack." Ennis snapped; growing tired of Jack babying him. "I ain't confused about nothin right now."

"You don't remember findin that suitcase full a money, and takin enough to get you some gear? You bought your saddle, that huge tent, and the rest a your stuff?"

"Suitcase full a money?" Ennis grinned at him; sure now that Jack must be joking. "Suitcase full a money and I forgot about it? Bud, I promise you—if I had a suitcase full a money, I wouldn't forget about it!"

"Do you remember callin me and askin me what you should do?" Jack asked as Ennis took a seat beside him.

"I called you?" Ennis asked frowning as he tried hard to remember.

"Yeah." Jack answered. "You called me, Cowboy. That's how I come to know what happened in Riverton." He reached a hand over and squeezed Ennis arm. "You don't remember askin me what you should do?"

Ennis shook his head 'no'. "To tell you the truth, Bud; it's all kind a fuzzy."

"You don't remember findin that suitcase, and riding around on horseback with it?" Jack asked.

Ennis stared at him. "I told you that?"

"Uh huh." Jack confirmed. "You told me you found it in a field on your way out to Cole's ranch. You said it was full a cash money."

Ennis' eyes grew big as saucers. "It's full a money? Really?"

Jack was glad that Ennis was talking a little more if only about things he _didn't_ remember. And, Jack himself had been curious about the suitcase, and was dying to see exactly what was inside. "That's what you told me."

"That case... honest to God... it ain't yours? You're sure?" Ennis asked.

"Positive! Look at my suitcases. They're brown leather. Very expensive. Lureen got them for me for my birthday a couple a years ago. That suitcase," he gestured towards the old black case, "looks to be a hundred years old, and looks like it's made out a cardboard."

"I thought it was yours." Ennis said as he continued to stare at it. "I thought it was funny that them other two a yours matched, and that one didn't."

"It don't match 'cause it ain't mine." Jack said.

"You reckon it's really full a money?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know." Jack grinned. "It's yours. Why don't you open it and find out?"

"It ain't neither mine!" Ennis insisted.

"You found it. I don't see no one else claimin they lost no suitcase full a money. In my book—that makes it yours." Jack said simply; as if that explained everything. "Go ahead—open it. I've been dying to see what a suitcase full a money looks like."

"It's probably not real." Ennis said.

"Looks real enough to me, Cowboy." Jack said as he inspected the bills that Ennis had handed him. "Must a looked real enough to the people in the general store where you bought your gear."

"I really bought that stuff? I thought you brought it with you." Ennis asked with a frown.

"Ennis, just open the suitcase. I wanna see what's inside. Don't you?"

"I ain't gonna open it!" Ennis shied back.

"All right," Jack said, then added eagerly. "Hand it here and I'll open it."

Ennis hesitated only a moment before reaching over gingerly and retrieving the case from their pile of belongings. He handed it carefully over to Jack.

Jack placed it across his lap, flipped both latches and lifted the lid. "Holy shit!" Jack exclaimed.

Ennis just stared in wide-eyed amazement before asking, "Do you think it's real?"

"Looks real to me." Jack said as he flipped through a stack of bills. "Cowboy, you're rich!"

"I ain't rich! This ain't mine?" Ennis insisted.

"Who's is it then?" Jack asked.

"Hell, I don't know! I just know it ain't mine." Ennis refused to touch it.

"You found it. That makes it yours!" Jack argued.

"No it don't!" Ennis argued back.

"Better go through it—see if we can find a name." Jack suggested and they both started pulling stacks and stacks of bills out until the case was empty.

"Nothing but money." Ennis said.

"Check the linin. There might be somethin there." Jack said and started feeling for anything that might have been stuck inside.

"This ain't no murder mystery, Jack." Ennis grinned. "It's just an old suitcase."

"An old suitcase full a money." Jack reminded him. "And if we can't find who it belongs to—that makes it yours!"

Ennis just scowled at the pile of money spread out on their sleeping bag and said, "Let's get this stuff off a our bedroll. I'm sleepy."

Jack put the money back into the suitcase, closed it, and handed it to Ennis who took it and placed it over with Jack's two suitcases before climbing in beside Jack.

x x x x

Some time later as they lay in bed, neither of them asleep yet, Ennis asked, "Jack—did you steal that money from Lureen?"

Jack reached over and switched the lantern on, "NO! I didn't steal that money!"

"'Cause if you did..." Ennis looked at him hard. "We can just give it back. We don't need no fancy horse ranch. I can get a job; so can you. We can still get us a place somewhere."

Jack stared at him for several seconds before answering. "I swear to you, Ennis—on my life—on your life—you called me, told me about the storm, and said you found a suitcase full a money, and asked if I thought it'd be all right if you used some to buy some food. I told you to take enough out so you could get a saddle and some campin gear. You don't remember none a that conversation?"

Ennis made a face, reached over and turned the lantern off and lay back down.

"People don't just leave suitcases full a money layin around, Jack."

"I know that, Cowboy. It was probably hidden away in one a those houses or ranches that got blown away. Judgin from the age a that suitcase, it could a been hidden away years and years ago." Jack said.

"Or it could be they used an old suitcase to hide it in, thinkin nobody would suspect anythin valuable would be in such an old case." Ennis offered.

"True enough." Jack agreed.

"Any way we can find out if it's stolen?" Ennis asked.

"We can check the newspapers; see if there's been any robberies lately." Jack suggested.

"Yeah." Ennis said liking that idea. "If there has been a bank robbery or somethin, it ought to be in the papers."

"It don't look like bank money to me." Jack said.

"How can you tell bank money from regular money?" Ennis asked.

"Bank money has little paper bands they put around bunches a money. They don't use rubber bands." Jack told him.

"You think it's drug money?" Ennis asked.

"I doubt it." Jack answered. "There ain't that much drug activity out in ranch country. That mostly happens in the bigger cities."

"Well if it ain't stolen bank or drug money; who else would have that much cash layin around?" Ennis asked.

"Could be anybody. Maybe somebody who don't trust banks; could be somebody's life savings." Jack suggested.

"I don't like banks neither, but I'd trust a bank over an old suitcase any day." Ennis said.

"Could be someone just didn't want to pay taxes on it." Jack offered. "I don't know where it could a come from."

"Me neither." Ennis said and yawned. "But we gotta try to find who it belongs to."

"Tomorrow when we go into town for supplies, we'll pick up a bunch a newspapers. We'll see if there's been any robberies or if anyone is sayin they lost a black suitcase." Jack said as he turned over and spooned up behind Ennis.

"Good." Ennis said as he hugged the arm that was slung over him. "Thanks, Bud."

x x x x

The next morning in Billings they stocked up on food and supplies, and bought every newspaper they could find. Later, after every paper was gone over by both of them, they talked.

"I don't see nothin about no robbery." Ennis said, folding the last paper and adding it to the stack.

"Me neither." Jack said. "If it was from a robbery, it might have happened long ago and wouldn't be in the papers now."

"Then how can we ever find out?" Ennis asked.

"I even checked all the personal ads to see if anyone was lookin for a black suitcase, and didn't find nothin." Jack said. "We may never find out who it belonged to."

"Well, what are we gonna do with it then?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know, Cowboy. Up to you."

"Maybe I should just take it to the police. They'd know what to do with it." Ennis suggested.

"I don't know about that." Jack said.

"You don't think I should do that?" Ennis asked.

"Think about it for a minute. What do you think they'd do with it?" Jack asked.

"Don't know." Ennis shrugged.

"If you give it to an honest cop, they'd—I don't know—maybe build a new buildin or somethin." Jack said.

"And if the guy wasn't honest?" Ennis asked.

"Let's face it, Cowboy. If someone handed over a suitcase full a cash to another person—that person would probably take of to Tahiti or some place."

"What do you think we should do with it then?" Ennis asked now that it seemed impossible to find out who it belonged to.

"I don't know. Maybe give it to charity then?" Jack suggested.

"Yeah, but you hear a lot about them bein crooked too." Ennis said sadly.

"That's them big charities that take in lots a cash from corporations and such. What about one a them local groups; like the ones who are helpin out the storm victims?" Jack suggested.

"Oh, I like that idea!" Ennis brightened considerably.

"We'd have to be careful about it though. You can't hand that much cash over to just anyone." Jack warned.

"I can't just give it to the church? Why not?" Ennis asked.

"Not unless you know the Pastor well enough to be sure he wouldn't run off with it." Jack advised.

"A Pastor?" Ennis was appalled at the very idea.

"It's possible." Jack said. "And you'd have to be prepared to answer a lot of questions."

"Questions? What kind a questions?" Ennis asked. He was not the kind of person who liked to answer questions.

"About the money—how and where you got it." Jack said.

"I don't remember none a that!" Ennis insisted.

"It won't matter. They're still gonna ask, and another thing," Jack added, "You'll have to give 'em your name and address and they'll come lookin for more!"

"Even if I give it all to them?" Ennis asked.

"They'd never believe that you'd give it _all_ away. And some folks might even get nasty about it."

"Jesus, Jack! I always thought havin money would solve problems—not cause more."

"It don't have to be a problem, Cowboy. All's I'm sayin is we gotta be careful about it. I don't think we should let anyone know about it." Jack warned.

"Then how we gonna give it away if we can't let anybody know about it?" Ennis asked.

"I think it would be best if you give it away a little bit at a time to different groups."

"Different groups?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah. I saw in the papers that the Methodist church, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and FEMA are all set up in Riverton and helpin out." Jack said.

"That's a good idea." Ennis said. "But won't they ask questions too?"

"I'm sure they would if they knew who gave it." Jack grinned.

"Well, some of 'em won't know me; that's for sure." Ennis said. "But the Pastor knows me. He married me and Alma and baptized both my girls."

"Ennis, I'm talkin about givin the money, a little at a time, to each place – anonymously."

"Anonymously?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah. That way it would all go to help out Riverton, and no one would be getting enough to make it worth their while to run off with it." Jack said.

Ennis felt hopeful for the first time. "And I wouldn't have to answer nobody's questions! We can just stuff it in a box or bag or somethin—and leave it on their doorstep. And no one would ever know where it came from."

"Exactly! We'll have to figure a way to get back into Riverton. The cops have all the roads closed off." Jack said.

"That won't be no problem. We can go in on horseback." Ennis suggested.

"That'll work!" Jack grinned his agreement.

"So all we gotta do is find four boxes or sacks and divide the money four ways and we can dump it and be rid of it." Ennis grinned. "I knew you'd know what to do!"

"You did, huh? That's why you called me; right?" Jack asked sensing a change in Ennis. He was becoming more like his old self.

"Sure enough." Ennis agreed.

"You remember callin me then? From that parkin lot in Arapahoe?"

"'Course I do. I didn't know what I should be doin, but I knew you'd know." Ennis said with a friendly shoulder bump.

"Okay for now, Cowboy, but we're gonna need more than four containers for the money."

"Why? If it all fits in that suitcase, it should fit in four boxes." Ennis reasoned.

"You don't have any idea how much money you got there; do you?" Jack asked.

"Hell, I don't know. Doesn't matter. It'll be gone soon enough." Ennis shrugged.

"Ennis, I'm guessin there's over a million dollars there. One fourth a that is two hundred fifty thousand. Still too much to give all at one time. It'd be better to give it in smaller amounts so no one will get the notion to run off with it."

"It ain't neither no million dollars." Ennis scoffed before asking, "Is it?"

"Each one a those stacks has a hundred, hundred-dollar bills in it. That's ten thousand a stack. And there's at least a hundred stacks there; maybe even more." Jack explained.

"A... million dollars?" Ennis stared at the case.

"Uh huh," Jack answered. "And I don't think you should put more than fifty thousand dollars in any one box. It'd be too temptin to whoever finds it to just run off with it."

"Jesus!" Ennis said and ran a hand through his hair. "I figured thousands a dollars for sure, but I never figured on no million dollars."

"It's something to think about," Jack said.

"We'd better get lots and lots a boxes then." Ennis said. "Maybe we should give some of it directly to the families that lost their homes?"

"That's a good idea." Jack agreed, "And while you're thinkin about those families, think about yourself as well."

"Huh?" Ennis didn't see the connection.

"I think it's great that you want to use this money to help the people of Riverton; but what about you? You lost your truck, your home, your job. I think you should keep a little a that money for yourself." Jack suggested.

"Hell, I already spent some a it, Jack. I can't keep no more. And I only spent that cause you told me you'd pay back whatever I spent."

"You do remember that conversation then?" Jack grinned with relief when Ennis nodded 'yes'.

"Some times I remember it, and some times I don't. You said there would probably be a reward for findin it. But if we got no way of returnin it to the owner—there won't be no reward." Ennis figured aloud.

"Exactly." Jack agreed. "So since you're givin it away, I think you ought to determine your own reward. Keep it, and give the rest away."

"That stuff I bought—the saddle and tent and the rest a that gear—must a cost four or five hundred. I guess that can be my reward. Or do you think that's too much?" Ennis asked.

Jack gave a little chuckle. "I saw somethin on the news out a Dallas a while back. Someone found a bank bag full a money and turned it in."

"No kiddin? Was it a million dollars?" Ennis asked.

"No; it wasn't near that much." Jack said. "But he got a reward. They was on the news talkin about it, and the bank manager give him a nice fat check for ten percent. He said that was the standard amount for when someone turned in cash that they found."

"Ten percent? Jeez. How much is that? I never was good at math once we got into fractions and percents." Ennis shook his head, at a loss to figure the amount.

"You'll agree to keep ten percent of it then?" Jack asked.

Ennis thought about if for a minute, then answered, "I'll agree to keep ten percent if you'll agree to help me pay it back if it's less than the money I already spent. I'll pay you back once I get me a job."

"It's a deal!" Jack said and reached out a hand for a shake.

Ennis gave him a look and asked, "How come I get the feelin I just had one put over on me?"

"We need to count the money to be able to figure out what ten percent is." Jack said as he went for the suitcase.

"You know how to figure percents, Jack?" Ennis asked. "You ain't gonna cheat; are you?"

"Yes, I know how to figure percents, Cowboy. There's lots a paperwork involved in sellin farm machinery. I got me a six percent commission every time I sold anythin. Didn't take me long to figure out how to do percentages. Lureen taught me. She's a whiz with numbers." Jack brought the suitcase over to where they were sitting in their lawn chairs in the middle of their living room and asked. "You really think I'd cheat you?"

"Nah; not really." Ennis shook his head. "You did get a kind a funny look on your face when you was makin me agree to accept ten percent as a reward."

"I just wanna make sure you get what's comin to you, Ennis. You found this money. You could keep it all if you wanted to. It's yours to do with what you please. And if you want to give it all away—that's your decision. I just think you deserve at least a little piece a it."

"All right; all right. I agree. Ten percent and no more. I just hope it's enough to cover what I already spent. I'd hate to start off owin you money. You already give me your truck and these clothes." Ennis said.

"That was nothin, Ennis. I already told you, Lureen's been wantin me to get rid of it." Jack said as he opened the case and dumped the bundles of cash out on the floor in front of them. They slid down on the floor and began counting, putting the bundles back in the case as they counted. When they had them all back in Jack asked. "I counted seventy. How many did you count?"

"Fifty." Ennis answered.

"That's a hundred and twenty bundles at ten thousand a piece," Jack said figuring in his head. "That's... whew! One million, two hundred thousand!"

"That can't be right!" Ennis said. There was just no way he could get his mind around the fact that he had that much money in his hands to do whatever he wanted with.

"It's right, Cowboy. I figured it'd be close to a million. And ten percent a that is, one hundred twenty thousand."

"No way!" Ennis shook his head and got up. He walked over to the window and stared out.

"It's yours, Ennis. You earned it." Jack said as he came to his side.

"No I didn't! It ain't mine and I can't keep it!" Ennis insisted, but the fire had gone out of his argument and he knew it.

"If it was a banks money and you turned it over to them, that's what you'd be gettin for a reward. That bank president said so. He said ten percent." Jack said as he lit a cigarette and offered Ennis one.

Ennis accepted the cigarette and leaned in for Jack's lighter. He drew in deep and exhaled a stream of smoke. "What would I do with a hundred thousand dollars? That's just nonsense."

"A hundred and twenty thousand, Ennis." Jack corrected him and waited a while before adding, "We could make a down payment on this place, buy some equipment."

Ennis stared at him.

"Do anythin you want with it." Jack stared out the window as he talked as if lost in thought.

"I can probably come up with enough for a down payment. We'd have to get jobs though and it'd probably be some years before we could afford to buy us a stallion and some brood mares."

After a bit Ennis spoke. "If I kept the money—just the reward money—we could do all those things now?"

"Sure we could." Jack turned to him with a smile as he leaned against the side of the window. "I got some money put away myself. I been savin for years. If you like this place enough, we could see about buyin it. We'd for sure get a good deal on it. The real estate agent said most ranch owners didn't rent their places out, and the guy who owns this place only did cause he's in a bind with his wife's medical bills, and havin to pay taxes on this place."

"I do like this place." Ennis said and let his mind ramble thinking what it would be like to have a horse ranch of his own and be able to afford some fine horses to breed. "You think it'd be... okay if I kept some a that money? I mean, it'd be legal and all?"

"I ain't no lawyer, Ennis, but I never heard of no law that says you can't keep what you find. Especially since you _did_ try to find the rightful owner. There ain't no laws that say you got a turn it over to the cops. At least none that I ever heard about."

"All I'm talkin about now is just the reward—just the ten percent. I still want to give the rest away." Ennis clarified things.

"I understand that." Jack said. "With your reward, and what I got saved up, we wouldn't have to worry none about lookin for work. We could put all our efforts into gettin this place set to stock. We'd have enough to make a good down payment, buy some equipment, and have a few years runnin room. We'd for sure have money comin in by then."

"There's always a market for horses." Ennis said as he was lost in thought again before adding, "You'll help me give the rest of it away?"

"Absolutely." Jack agreed.

"We could use the plastic bags the grocery store gives us." Ennis suggested.

"Good idea." Jack agreed. "We got tons a those bags with all the groceries we just bought."

"We need to make a trip to Riverton. We can set up at Boysen Park campgrounds. That's twenty two miles this side a Riverton. We can wait until dark and ride into town so we can see where these charity places are set up."

"Might as well take our first donations along with us." Jack grinned. "Night time is when we're going to have to do it anyway; so we won't be seen."

"I feel good about this, Jack." Ennis said as he retrieved four plastic grocery bags from the kitchen.

Jack counted out five stacks of money for each bag. "I'm glad, Cowboy. 'Cause there is just no way of findin out who that money belonged to."

"You're right." Ennis agreed. "It must a been one a them ranchers that got blowed away."

"Uh huh." Jack agreed. "Or it could have even been someone who owned the ranch before they did. That suitcase is really old. The ranchers might not have even known it was hidden up in their attic or where ever it come from."

"True." Ennis agreed. "I'll just be glad when we give it all away and don't have to worry none about it any more."

"That shouldn't take too long." Jack said. "You wanna leave tomorrow? We can drive down and get set up in the campground, then leave for Riverton after dark."

"Yeah. Let's do that." Ennis agreed. "The sooner we start gettin rid of it, the better."

"I just hope there aren't too many cops around." Jack said. "Maybe it'll be good and dark."

"Let's hope so." Ennis agreed.

x x x x

"I can't see nothin." Jack whispered. "Are you sure you know where we're goin?"

"Yeah." Ennis whispered back. "The high school used to be right over there. I taught Junior how to drive right through here."

"I thought there'd be cops all over the place." Jack whispered. "We ain't seen any since the highway."

"They probably don't figure nobody'd be dumb enough to come through here at night." Ennis answered.

"You think you can find what's left of town?" Jack asked. "The newspapers said some a downtown was still standin."

"Yeah, I can find it. It's due west a the high school." Ennis answered.

"How can you be sure this is the high school?" Jack asked. "I don't see nothin but bare ground."

"We're on the track now, Jack. Jenny was on the track team and I come out here and watched her race."

"Okay. I guess you do know where we are. I know I was wishin for a dark night, but I never expected it to be this dark."

"That's why we're walkin the horses, Jack. They can see better in the dark than we can and it's a lot more quiet in case there are any cops or anyone else wanderin around."

"There's some buildings up ahead." Ennis said after they had ridden a while further.

"Can you see the church? Should we be lookin for a steeple?" Jack asked.

"Nah, I can't see the church and it didn't have no steeple. Just a wooden cross and that probably blew away." Ennis explained. "Once we get a little further into town, I'll get my bearings and know which way to head."

"Okay. You know this place better than me. All's I know about is the motel, and it was on the main road. You said that was gone." Jack said.

"I don't remember seein much a anythin on the main road, but I might not a even been on the main road; I was pretty confused."

"You took a couple a pretty good knocks on your head. It's a wonder you were able to think at all." Jack said.

"I remember all I could think about was that I needed to call you and ask you what to do." Ennis whispered, and motioned for Jack to stop as he'd seen something ahead.

"What is it?" Jack whispered.

"This is the town square. City Hall is right over there. Looks like it's still standin." Ennis whispered back.

"I see a few lights on." Jack said. "Maybe if we can get a little closer we can find where these other charities set up."

"There's some big trailers and a semi over there." Ennis said as he pointed off towards the parking lot west of the courthouse, and headed over in that direction. All the charities they were looking for were there. Red Cross, Salvation Army, and FEMA.

"I'm glad we decided to come this late. Looks like everyone is sleepin. I don't see no lights on inside." Jack said.

"Yeah, and look—they each got donation boxes out front." Ennis said as he stopped his horse and climbed down.

Jack joined him and held the horses while Ennis pulled three of the money filled bags out of his saddle bags, and headed over, placing one bag in each donation box before heading back to his horse. Jack greeted him with a big grin and Ennis returned it happily. "You think you can find the church from here?"

"Yeah. It's just next block over that a way." Ennis said as he mounted his horse and led the way.

The building was about halfway gone but a lot of fresh lumber on the side showed it was being rebuilt.

"They don't have no donation box." Jack whispered.

"No, but it looks like they got a mail slot in the door." Ennis said as he hopped down, got the last bag of money out and headed up the walkway to the church. It took a little wiggling to get the bag through the slot but he managed and in a few minutes he was back.

"Now all we gotta do is get out a here without being seen." Jack whispered.

"Not a problem, Jack. And even if we were to get caught, I'm a resident a this town. I don't think there would be no trouble. And if we're gonna get caught, I'd rather do it on the way out a town, then when we still had all that money on us."

"That's true." Jack said and was relieved when they finally passed the city limits and were able to step up their pace to a lope.

Back at the campgrounds, curled up together in their tent, Ennis was too excited to sleep. "Thank you, Jack, for helpin me tonight. I don't think I ever could a done it without your help."

"Sure you could!" Jack said but was pleased that Ennis felt like he needed him so.

"Nah. I'd a probably walked right up to the church or the police station and handed it all over at once. I'd be answerin questions till next year!" Ennis said. "I might a even got put in jail if they thought I stole it."

"Well, none a that's gonna happen 'cause we're bein careful." Jack said and held Ennis a little closer. "You feel better about things now?"

"I do." Ennis answered and after a few minutes of silence; "Jack?"

"Huh?" Jack answered just about asleep.

"You think tomorrow afternoon, after we're back in Billings, we can stop at the real estate place and see about buyin that place?"

"Don't see why not. Unless you'd rather look around some more. That was the first place we looked at." Jack answered.

"I know it was, but it's exactly the kind a place we need. It's the right size, the two of us can handle it without any help, and you said the owner was really eager to sell it." Ennis reasoned.

"Yep. All that's true." Jack admitted.

"And it's already got a good barn and stables. And the house ain't bad at all. Just needs some furniture and a good cleanin." Ennis reasoned.

"Ennis?"

"What?"

"I love you." Jack whispered sleepily.

"I love you too, Bud. I'd a never made it through all this without you." Ennis said as he snuggled close against Jack's chest. "I never been so scared in all my life. Didn't really think I was gonna make it out a that pit. Figured I was a goner for sure. I thought about you while I was down there. I thought how you was gonna take it when you heard that I was dead. Glad that nobody did have to give you that news."

Jack said nothing.

"Jack?"

"Zzzzzz" A light snoring was all that came out of Jack.

Ennis nuzzled a kiss against Jack's chin and finally dozed off.

x x x x

"So how long you think it'll take?" Ennis asked the next afternoon as he and Jack left the real estate office.

"Don't know, Cowboy. These things take time. We gotta see if the owner accepts our offer and we gotta hit the bank tomorrow to see about a loan. I'll need to open an account and transfer my money up here."

"Yeah, but how long could that take?" Ennis asked as they climbed into the truck and headed back to the ranch.

"Couple a days, maybe." Jack answered. "The agent seemed to think we have a pretty good chance of the owner acceptin the offer. Our main hurdle is gonna be the bank agreein to the loan."

"You offered twenty five percent down and they were only askin for fifteen plus back taxes. That should count for somethin." Ennis reasoned.

"I'm sure it will. But it will depend on the bank's policies. What their rules for loans are. We got a good chance—that's all I can tell you."

"It's the perfect place, Jack." Ennis said as they drove.

"Well, we got a couple a choices here, Cowboy, if we get turned down. With what you got and what I got, we could pay cash for the place, but then we'd be cash poor and have to find jobs to live on, buy equipment, and stock the place. Or, we could move on; try to find a place in a different county where the bankin laws might be different and we'd qualify."

"Jeez, Jack. All that money we got and we still got problems." Ennis groused.

"Money don't solve problems, Ennis. It just gives you a different kind a problems."

"I guess so. It sure is the perfect place though."

x x x x

"Man, they asked a lot a questions!" Ennis said the next day as they left the bank.

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "Sometimes I think that bankers must get paid by the amount of questions they can think up to ask."

"You got any feel for it? You think they'll accept us?" Ennis asked as they headed across the street for lunch.

"I couldn't really tell one way or another, but for some reason, I feel good about it. I think they're gonna go for it." Jack grinned at him as they sat at the counter and ordered burgers.

"And if they don't—we keep on lookin; right?" Ennis asked.

"Right." Jack agreed as he sipped his soda. "Montana's a big state. Bigger even than Wyomin. I'm sure we'll be able to find us a place, one way or the other."

"It really is like Wyomin; isn't it? I was surprised. I didn't really believe you when you told me that."

Jack just grinned and dug into his burger as their meals were placed in front of them.

Ennis watched him for a minute; he never could get over Jack's love affair with food and his constant, insatiable need for it. He started in on his own burger and all conversation between them stopped until they finished. "You about ready to head on back to the ranch?" He asked as Jack paid for their meal.

"Wait a minute." Jack stopped Ennis from leaving. "Listen." He cocked his head towards the TV up on the wall in the larger dining section of the restaurant.

Ennis stopped and listened. The news was on and someone was talking about Riverton, and three large cash donations that had come in. Someone was there from the Red Cross, the Methodist church, and the Salvation Army. The three representatives were beaming proudly, and talking about how much the money they had received was going to help out the many displaced families.

Ennis and Jack exchanged puzzled looks as they headed out to the pickup, got in, and each lit a cigarette before Ennis spoke. "What do you make a that?" He asked. "They never even mentioned FEMA.

"It could mean a couple different things." Jack answered. "Maybe the FEMA folks haven't found the money yet or..."

"Or what?" Ennis asked, not liking where this seemed to be heading. "You think someone stole it?"

"Not necessarily." Jack answered thoughtfully as he considered all possibilities. "FEMA is a government agency. Could be they got different rules about cash donations. It might a all been put in some general fund that'd go to help people all over the U.S."

"We didn't give it to 'em to be spreadin it around the whole country. We give it to 'em to help Riverton. Ennis couldn't help the anger that was building inside him.

"That may be exactly what they're doin, Cowboy. We got no way a knowin. It could be it's their policy not to mention donations. We don't know any different." Jack reasoned hoping to calm Ennis down some.

"I don't like this, Jack. I don't like it one bit! What does FEMA do anyway? I mean—I know what the Red Cross does. They show up immediately and feed people and find 'em a place to stay. And the Salvation Army – people give 'em stuff they don't need no more – like clothes or furniture or tools – and they see it gets to people who need 'em and can't afford to buy 'em. And the church – they're always takin up a collection when people need it – like when their house burns down or someone needs surgery or somethin. I know what all a them folks do. But what does FEMA do?"

"Like I said, Cowboy; it's a government agency and they come out to a place after somethin bad happens and they make all their reports to send in to the Governor to help him decide whether or not enough damage has been done so it can officially be declared a disaster area."

"Over three hundred dead or missin, half the town wiped out—what more proof do they need?" Ennis asked angrily. "Paper work!" Ennis added with disgust. "So they don't do nothin to actually help the people?"

"I'm sure they do, Ennis, in their own way. They figure out what government benefits the people qualify for and help 'em file for it. Like low interest loans to re-build. Stuff like that. All kinds a stuff that we'd never think of."

"Then what do they have a donation box out front if they're not actually givin stuff to the folks who need it?" Ennis asked growing more and more frustrated.

"They probably do both." Jack explained as best he could. "Don't go getting upset."

"I ain't upset, Jack. I'm mad! I want the people in Riverton to get that money. Not some government agency sittin around on their asses doin paperwork!"

"I agree." Jack said. "And if we don't hear nothin about them getting a big cash donation—we don't need to give 'em one next time around."

"I wish I'd never found that dang suitcase!" Ennis brooded.

"If you hadn't found it; someone else would have, and I doubt it'd be spent on helpin the people a Riverton." Jack said as he started the truck and headed out to the ranch.

"I never knew money could be so much work." Ennis sighed.

Jack gave a little chuckle as he drove.

x x x x

The next day...

You feelin better this mornin?"Jack asked as Ennis joined him for coffee after checking on his horses.

"I told you, Jack. I feel fine. There ain't nothin wrong with me but a few scrapes and bruises and they're about all healed up."

"You look better. Your eyes look clearer." Jack said as he handed Ennis a cup of the steaming brew.

"That's probably because my head don't ache no more." Ennis said as he blew on the coffee before taking a sip.

"You didn't say nothin about a head ache. We could a got you some Tylenol or somethin." Jack said.

"I don't like takin that stuff, Jack."

"It won't hurt you none." Jack said as he eyed him closely. "You can think clearer now? No more confusion?"

"Nope. No more confusion." Ennis answered as he stared out the kitchen window at nothing in particular.

"You remember everythin now? The storm, findin the suitcase and callin me?" Jack asked.

"I remember." Ennis nodded.

"Good. That's a good sign, Cowboy." Jack grinned at him; relieved now that each day seemed to bring Ennis back a little closer to where he was before the storm.

"Jack? I got a question."

"What is it? Is it about the loan? We just gotta wait." Jack said. "There's no getting around that part."

"No. I was wonderin... what did you tell Lureen?"

"Well, I was real lucky there. She was out a town on one a her business trips so I just left her a note." Jack answered.

"Is she gonna be expectin you back?" Ennis asked.

"I didn't know what was gonna happen when I got up here. I had no idea how bad it was till I heard it on the radio while I was drivin. I just told her about the storm and that you had lost your truck and everything else and that I bought a new truck and was towin the old one up here for you. I said I was gonna see to you until you get settled." Jack explained. "I'll call her once we get settled in and let her know how everythin stands." The truth was, Jack wasn't sure himself where things stood. Ennis seemed perfectly content with talk about them buying a place together, and that surprised him so much, he worried that Ennis whole attitude might change once his confusion passed.

"You think she'll be mad you give me your truck? I could pay you for it." Ennis offered.

"Nah. She won't be mad at that. She'll be glad to have that truck gone. There's one thing about Texans I've learned that I really like, and that's that they'd give the shirt off their back to help a friend. They're really big on helpin each other."

"So I guess you're a Texan now. You give me all these clothes." Ennis said, and had the sad thought that a little of the connection between them had been lost.

"No, Cowboy. I ain't no Texan. I could live there a hundred years and I'd still be a Wyomin boy wantin to go home." Jack said.

"And here we are in Montana. Home to neither one a us." Ennis observed.

"We're figurin to make it our home though." Jack said with a smile that he hoped was showing Ennis a little more confidence than he actually felt.

"Yeah. I don't wanna be anywhere in Wyomin right now." Ennis said with a droop to his shoulders.

"You like this place though—don't you?" Jack asked.

"Sure enough." Ennis nodded. "You think we'll hear somethin from the bank today?"

"Hope so. It could be a couple more days though." Jack warned.

"I hate the waitin." Ennis said as he continued his stare out the kitchen window, past the corral and the fields beyond. "We need to see about getting some equipment in here and start workin those fields."

"We could see about a tractor if you want. I could probably get one at dealer's cost." Jack offered.

"No sense getting one until we know for sure we got the place. If we don't get it; we'd end up havin to haul it around all over Montana." Ennis reasoned.

It pleased Jack that Ennis was thinking clearly again and able to reason. "You're right. You want to see about some furniture though? All's we got is our camp chairs and stuff. We lucked out to get a place with a stove and refrigerator."

Ennis stood silently, continuing his stare out the window with glazed over eyes. He was seeing nothing now but his deep thoughts.

Jack came up beside him, slipping an arm around Ennis' waist. "What are you thinkin about, Cowboy?"

"I never had much in the way a good luck in my life until all this happened." He stepped a little closer to Jack. "It's like that storm blew away all my bad luck and I haven't had nothin but good luck since."

Jack leaned his head against Ennis' but was at a loss for words to say what he was feeling.

"I was lucky I was still at the garage when it hit. If Earl had been five minutes faster; I'd a been on the road and blowed away for sure." Ennis paused a moment before continuing. "I was lucky my horses both made it. I saw a lot a dead animals that didn't."

Jack gave him a hug but remained silent.

"You come up here and give me your truck, and looked after me till my head cleared. And now we're buyin us a horse ranch. I'd say that's a whole bunch a good luck, and that ain't even countin the suitcase full a money and the reward I get to keep."

"The luckiest day a my life was the day I met you." Jack said as he pulled Ennis closer and nuzzled a kiss against his neck. Ennis rewarded him with a full-body hug and a trip back to the bedroom for their first time together since everything had happened.

x x x x

Two weeks later...

"Jack, don't go! Please don't go." Ennis begged after Jack hung up the phone.

"We talked about this, Cowboy. And agreed it was somethin that I needed to get done." Their loan had been granted and work had been started on the place. Jack had been surprised that Ennis couldn't seem to stand him being out of his sight. Where ever he went, Ennis went; whatever work they did, they did together.

"We talked about a phone call to Texas—not a trip down there." Ennis said.

"It won't take all that long. Three or four days at most." Jack said.

"Can't you just explain everythin to her over the phone? You're good at talkin to people. Can't you just have her send the papers up here for you to sign?" Ennis pleaded.

"Ennis—this ain't the kind a thing to do over the phone." Jack got up and got them both a beer. He opened his can and took a long drink. Talking to Lureen hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be. She hadn't seemed mad at him at all – only eager to talk with him face to face. "I could fly. That would take a day off the trip. I might could be back in a couple a days then." He said as he seated himself on their new couch next to Ennis. "Or..." he added with a mischievous grin, "You could come with me." He was half-way joking as he knew that Ennis hated leaving the ranch, and so far had left only long enough for a ride into town for supplies.

"Me?" Ennis stared at him. "Go to Texas?"

"Why not? It would be great if you went along with me. The trip would be a lot easier. We could stop and spend the night in Amarillo. It's only a little over a hundred miles from there to Childress. We could drive over, have our meeting with Lureen, have lunch and drive back. We wouldn't have to spend the night in Childress—just a couple a hours."

"Jack—I can't go to Texas!" Ennis thought it was the most absurd idea he had ever heard.

"Why not?" Jack asked. "It'd be perfect. You wouldn't have to worry about me drivin all that way, and I wouldn't have to worry about you bein here all alone."

"What would Lureen think if you come walkin in with me?" Ennis asked.

"I don't give a damn what she or anyone else thinks." Jack answered truthfully. "If you're worried about it; you could wait for me in the motel in Amarillo while I go see her."

"You serious, Jack? You want me to go to Texas with you?" Ennis asked as the idea began to grow on him. He wouldn't have to worry about Jack making that long trip. He wouldn't have to worry about staying there at their ranch alone. And he wouldn't have to worry that Lureen might get Jack to change his mind about leaving Texas. All these thoughts swirled around in his head.

"Sure. Why not? My business in Childress shouldn't take but a couple a hours. And on the way home we can stop in Casper and pick up your truck from storage." Jack thought it was the perfect solution as they stared at one another in silence. He didn't think Ennis would agree but he hoped he would.

Ennis liked the idea that he'd only be alone for a matter of hours rather than days. "I'll go with you." He said finally.

They headed out early the next morning. The ride was pleasant enough in Jack's new truck and it was close to midnight when they checked into the motel in Amarillo. The next morning they had breakfast in the coffee shop next door and headed back to the motel.

"You think Lureen's gonna give you much trouble?" Ennis asked as they settled in at the table and both lit a cigarette. He remembered well the unpleasantness he and Alma went through just before their divorce, and he hated the thought of Jack going through that.

"Nah. Lureen's not like that." Jack explained. "She didn't even sound mad at me for runnin off and stayin gone nearly a month without calllin."

"You said you left her a note explainin things." Ennis reminded him.

"I did but it was only a short one. And I never been gone this long before. I figured she'd be mad, but all she said was that we needed to talk—face to face."

"You figure she's about to lay down the law about you bein gone?" Ennis asked.

"I don't know. Could be, I guess; but it won't change nothin. I'll just tell her I want a divorce, and then I'll get over to the real estate place and see about puttin that house a mine up for sale." Jack leaned back in his chair, happy that things in Texas were about to be finished for good. "Don't know how long it'll take. Lureen might want me to sign some papers. And the real estate people probably will too. If I get delayed, I can call you and let you know."

That pleased Ennis but he was still uneasy about Jack being gone that long. "How long you figure to be gone?" He asked.

"I looked it up. It's about a two hour drive from here so that's four hours drivin time total. And I imagine at least an hour with Lureen and maybe another at the real estate place. We're talkin most likely six hours minimum. If I'm gonna be longer than that I'll call you."

"I just hate you bein gone that long." Ennis stubbed out his cigarette.

"You could come with me." Jack suggested, and again, never imagined that Ennis would agree. "I could leave you at a restaurant while I talked with Lureen."

"I hate waitin, Bud."

"Hell; come with me then, You could meet Lureen." Jack suggested.

"She'd probably shoot me on sight!" Ennis shuddered at the thought.

"She ain't like that, Ennis. She'd be pleased to meet you." Jack assured him.

"I don't know about that. It ain't really my place to be around while you're askin your wife for a divorce."

"Nonsense." Jack answered and got up and tucked his shirt tail in. "You're the friend I went to help out, and you were nice enough to make this long drive with me. It'd look funny if you didn't come in to meet her."

"I suppose I could always go wait out in the truck when the yellin starts." Ennis offered.

"There ain't gonna be no yellin, Ennis. I'll just tell her we found a little place and decided to go in on it together. She knows I've always wanted a ranch a my own."

"I don't know, Bud." Ennis stalled.

"At least go along with me for the drive. That's four hours less of us bein apart. When we get there, you can decide if you want to wait in a coffee shop or if you want to come in with me." Jack grinned and reached out a hand to Ennis, pulling him up from the chair. "Come on. It won't be that bad; I promise you."

At exactly eleven a.m., the exact time Jack had agreed on, they pulled up in front of Jack's house.

"Jesus, Jack. You never said you lived in no mansion." Ennis said as he surveyed the beautifully landscaped grounds and the huge three story house in front of them.

"Biggest in the neighborhood." Jack said as he led the way up the pathway to the steps and across the porch. "Old L.D. Was like that. He had to have the biggest and the best a everything. Gotta warn you, Cowboy. It's filled with so much pink and purple froo froo shit you might need to puke. If you do, try not to get any of it on the rug. She'll skin us both alive if we get the place dirty." He grinned and wiped his feet carefully.

Ennis cringed a little but wiped his feet as good as he could while Jack unlocked the door and walked in.

Ennis stumbled in behind him gazin around the marble floored foyer with the magnificent crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling three stories above them. "They ain't got nothin like this in Riverton." He whispered, but before Jack could comment he heard a woman's voice call out, "Jack? You're right on time." And the most beautiful woman Ennis had ever seen entered the room, walked up to Jack for a hug. A trickle of guilt made him regret agreeing to come to the house. And he did actually feel a little sick to his stomach.

"Lureen—this here is Ennis del Mar. I talked him into makin the long drive with me." Jack introduced them.

"Well, I swear! Ennis del Mar! I'm just so glad to finally meet you after all these years." Lureen reached out a hand and Ennis took hold of it for a quick, gentle shake. He'd never met a woman that looked like a movie star before; with beauty-shop hairdo, fancy clothes and make up, and jewelry on her ears, round her neck and on every finger.

"I just have to tell you right off how sorry I was to hear about that horrible, horrible storm and what it did to your home. It must be devastatin to lose everythin you own. Everythin but your horses." Lureen corrected herself. "Jack's note said you found your horses."

"Yes, Ma'am." Ennis looked away, still not comfortable talking about that happened.

"Let's talk in the kitchen. I put a pot a coffee on." Lureen said and turned and led the way with Jack and Ennis following along behind—Ennis' head swiveling in all directions taking in everything he saw from the fancy art work on the walls, to the elegant dining room they passed that had yet another crystal chandelier hanging over the huge table. Ennis let out a "Whew!" and Jack gave him a grin.

Ennis thought it was strange that Lureen wanted to talk in the kitchen when they had such a fancy house with so many rooms to choose from, but he guessed she chose that because it was probably the one room that Jack felt most comfortable in. Even the kitchen looked like something out of a movie, Ennis thought, as they seated themselves at the beautifully polished round oak table.

Lureen poured three cups of coffee and brought them to the table on a silver tray along with a sugar and creamer that perfectly matched the delicate cups and saucers.

"First of all, I want to thank you, Jack, for comin all this way the minute I asked you to. I really appreciate that." Lureen spoke first as she spooned sugar into her coffee and added a bit of cream. Words that had come so easily to her before seemed to fail her now as she concentrated on her stirring.

"Not a problem, Lureen. I made that trip plenty a times before." Jack answered.

Lureen gave a weak grin but went on silently stirring.

Ennis and Jack exchanged looks and Ennis wished once again that he had stayed outside in the truck as he fidgeted with his coffee cup.

"Oh this is so awkward! I'm so sorry..." Lureen apologized.

"Honey, what is it? What's got you so upset?" Jack asked.

Jack's affectionate comment affected Ennis more than he thought it would and he offered, "I can wait out in the truck."

Both Jack and Lureen stopped him with a combined, "No!" The two of them clearly did not want to be left alone together.

"This is all my fault!" Lureen started. "I'm so sorry to spring this on you like this but..."

"What is it?" Jack asked when she stopped talking again.

"I just can't believe that this has happened to me a second time!" She took a quick sip of her coffee, spooned in more sugar and began her furious stirring again. Just when they figured she wasn't going to say any more, she blurted out, "I'm pregnant!"

Jack froze in his seat.

Ennis turned to stone thinking, a baby! Jack was going to be a daddy again! He'd forget all about Montana and their ranch! Once again his world was whirling out from under him. His coffee cup clattered against the saucer.

"Oh." Jack said calmly. "Well... how can I help? You want me to let people think it's mine? I'll be fine with that. Or... were you thinkin about... not havin it? I know there are places now where you can get it done safely and legally. You need my signature or somethin?"

Lureen's mouth fell open and she stared at her husband.

Ennis was struggling to make sense of what he'd just heard. Jack had said, "... let people think..." it was his? The baby wasn't Jack's! He gulped with relief and managed to get a sip of coffee down. Awkward didn't begin to describe this conversation.

"Oh Jack!" Lureen gave a nervous little smile. "You're just so sweet. No, I don't want to get rid of it. I want this baby more than anythin else in the world!"

"I won't give you no problem with it. You know that." Jack said. "Far as anyone else is concerned, it'll be my baby."

"Jack, honey..." she reached across the table and took his hand. "That isn't what I'm askin. What I'm askin for is a divorce... real quick like... so I can marry my baby's daddy."

Jack and Ennis both stared at her.

"It's not like the two of us ever did have a big romance goin." She went on. "You and I always were more best friends than lovers."

"Honey, if that's what you want—of course I'll agree, but divorce ain't exactly a quick thing." Jack offered after a quick look at Ennis and both of them thinking the same thing that they came here to ask Lureen for a divorce and here she was asking Jack for one!

"I talked with my lawyer about it. He says if you agree to all the terms and sign the papers; I can fly to South America and get one immediately—no waitin period down there if both parties agree." She gave Jack a hopeful look and went on. "I got all the papers drawn up." She reached behind her and pulled a large brown envelope off the cupboard and handed it to him. "You won't have to worry about anythin, Jack. I've seen to it that you'll be well taken care of."

"I don't need nothin, Lureen; 'cept what was mine. I come down here cause I wanted to see about sellin that first house a ours that we been rentin out, and to tell you that Ennis and me found us a little ranch and decided to go in on it together." Jack said.

"Oh Jack! You found your ranch!" She grinned at him with tears in her eyes. "I know that's what you've always wanted. I'm so happy—we're both getting what we always wanted!"

"This guy..." Jack asked. "He know about the baby? He willin to marry you?"

"Oh yes! He knows everythin and has been askin me to marry him and move to Dallas for nearly two years now." She smiled and dabbed at her happy tears. "He's always wanted kids. His first wife couldn't have any and she passed away several years ago. He's just tickled pink about the baby." She babbled on.

"Well give me a pen and I'll sign these." Jack asked and started opening the envelope.

"No! Not until you've read them." Lureen insisted. "I'm glad you're here, Ennis, so you can go over the papers with him. He told me you were divorced so you'll have some familiarity with all the legal terms." Turning back to Jack she added, "LeRoy is expectin me at the club for lunch so you'll have the place to yourselves. Read the papers carefully, Jack, and if there's something you don't agree with or don't understand, just let me know and we'll deal with it when I get back." She practically leaped from the table and left the room.

Jack took his first sip of his coffee, pronounced it cold and got up and poured himself another cup. "You want some more?" He asked Ennis who was staring blankly into his cup.

"Huh? A... no." Ennis was still a little numb by what he'd just heard.

"Well, what do you think a Lureen? She anythin like your Alma?" Jack asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter and sipped his coffee.

"Oh hell no!" Ennis answered quickly. Relaxed more now that heard the front door close and knew that they were alone. "And, first of all, she ain't _my_ Alma. She's Monroe's; and second of all, how come you never told me she was so beautiful? Jesus, Jack. She looks like a movie star or somethin."

"'Cause that never mattered to me, I guess. She's just really a sweet gal and she was always feedin me and slippin me money back in the days when we was both into rodeoin. We had a lot a fun—the bunch of us, and we weren't steadies or nothin back when she first got pregnant. We never were sure who fathered Bobby. It could a been me or any one a the others who traveled the circuit. She was afraid of what her daddy might do and she asked me if I'd marry her. I said sure thing. I have to admit, I was thinkin more along the lines a steady meals and a roof over my head than of Lureen and a baby."

"Then you never..." Ennis asked. "You never was in love with her?"

"No." Jack shrugged. It was like she said. We were really good friends and we had great fun devilin her daddy." Jack gave a fond little grin at the memory. "I was already in love with someone else by that time. No way I could love no body else." He smiled at Ennis and it made him blush and turn his head away. "What about you and Alma? Was it ever with her like it is with us?"

Ennis gave a little grunt, shook his head 'no' and said, "Not even close." Then after thinking about it a minute he added. "She was... somethin I thought I was supposed to do. It was a mistake and I never should a married her."

"Well, that's behind us now and soon as I sign those papers, all this will be too." He reached for the papers but Ennis stopped him.

"I think we should do what she said and read 'em first, Jack."

"Okay, okay. I'll just end up signin 'em anyway though." Jack agreed and sat back down at the table, pulling his chair over closer to Ennis.

Jack opened the envelope and started reading aloud, page after page. They discussed a few items like the three houses that were mentioned. Jack explained that the first house that they had lived in, he had bought and was in his name alone. That was the one that he wanted to see about selling. The second house was the house that her grandmother had owned and had left it to both of them in her will so he owned half of that house, which, like the first house, was currently being rented out. And the third house was the one they were in now which was built by L.D. and left to Lureen in his will.

"So half a the second house is yours then?" Ennis asked.

"Yeah, but I ain't holdin her to that. It come from her grandmother and she made all the upgrades herself. I just wanna sell off that first place. It took me a year to save up enough to make the down payment and I struggled with those payments until she finished school and was able to work and chip in. So I figured we'd be about even with me keeping what I get from the first place and her keepin all a the second place."

"That ought to be easy enough to work out." Ennis said. "You can talk to her about it when she gets back."

"Uh huh." Jack said as he continued to read. The last page had a check attached to it and Jack let out a whistle and handed it to Ennis.

"That's a lot a zeroes!" Ennis said. "She got the kind a money that she can be handin out checks this big?"

"That's my signin bonus. I sign these papers and I get that check." Jack grinned as he picked up the pen.

"You sure you read everythin? I didn't hear nothin in there about Bobby." Ennis stopped Jack once again from signing the papers.

"I read every line, Cowboy. There ain't nothin in it about Bobby 'cause he's eighteen now and there ain't no custody or child support up for question. 'Sides, he's already set for life with what his grandfather left him."

"And she's got a buyer for the business already and you're gonna get a chunk a that too?" Ennis couldn't believe it!

"Yeah." Jack fiddled with the pen. "You know, it's funny, Cowboy. All those years, both a us cash poor. And now we got money comin at us in all directions!"

"Uh huh; but remember, Bud. Money brings with it problems too." Ennis warned.

"Those kind a problems we can handle. Like what kind a tractor are we gonna buy? I was hopin I'd get enough from sellin that house to buy one. With this check, we can buy just about any equipment we need! And I got my eye on the sweetest little John Deere that you ever did see. It's got attachments that'll do just about everythin we need. We got one up at the lot, if it hasn't been sold off. We'll stop by and I'll show it to you when we head out for the real estate place." Jack got up then. "Come on. I wanna get some stuff out a my room."

Ennis jumped up and followed him back out into the foyer, up the curved staircase, down the hall and into the room next to the big double doors at the end of the hallway. Entering Jack's room was a relief.

"No pink or purple in here?" Ennis asked as he looked around at the plain furniture and bare walls. He'd know this as Jack's room anywhere.

"You got that right! I don't care how we do our place, Cowboy, as long as it don't have none of that pink or purple shit around." Jack said as he headed for his closet, opened the louvered door and walked in. He came out a minute later carrying two more suitcases that matched his others.

"Jesus, you got a whole bunch a them suitcases." Ennis said as he took a seat at the foot of Jack's bed.

"Yeah. Lureen was determined a couple a years ago that we were gonna 'tour the continent' as she called it—travel all over Europe. She bought this set for me and the little one here had tickets in it. I told her no way was I gonna be flyin all over the place, and I wasn't about to go on no boat neither. She pouted a bit and went with her friends instead."

"She's into all that flyin stuff?" Ennis asked.

"Oh yeah. She loves it. You ever fly, Ennis?" Jack asked as he went through his closet and drawers and tossed things into his suitcases as they lay open on the bed beside Ennis.

"Oh hell no! I ain't no bird; I ain't gonna do no flyin." Ennis said. "You done any?"

"Some. I hated it." Out of his dresser drawer he pulled a jewelry box and started pawing through it. "Lureen bought me lots a jewelry. I think I'll haul it all over to the Daniel's Jewelry. They take stuff on consignment."

"What's that?" Ennis asked as he walked over and took a look over Jack's shoulder into the box filled with glimmering gold and silver jewelry.

"They sell the stuff, keep a percentage of it, and send me the rest." Jack said as he selected several items that he thought would sell. He pulled his wedding ring off and added it to the pile he had made on the dresser and scooping it all off, stuck it in his jacket pocket. "Here," he handed Ennis a gold Calibri lighter. "She had my name engraved on this so it won't sell. And these Calibri lighters are the best!"

"What's that mean—Calibri?" Ennis asked as he examined the fancy cigarette lighter.

"It's Italian. The name of the people that make 'em, I guess." Jack answered.

Ennis flipped the lighter on and off a few times before sticking it in his jeans pocket. His old BIC was about empty and he was needing a new lighter anyway.

"Come on down stairs." Jack said as he latched his two suitcases, handed Ennis one, and out the door they went.

Off the foyer was a beautifully carved double door and Jack breezed through it after setting the suitcase he'd been carrying down at the front door. Ennis placed the case he'd been carrying next to Jack's and followed Jack into his study. Another room that was totally Jack; Ennis thought as he looked around. Plain furniture again and western paintings on the walls.

Jack sat at his desk and turning around in his chair, opened the safe that was stashed in the credenza behind him. He pulled a briefcase out of his desk drawer and started stuffing papers in. He had just snapped it shut when the front door opened and Lureen came back in; flushed with happiness and floating on a cloud.

"Look!" She held out her left hand and showed off her huge diamond engagement ring. "Isn't it gorgeous! I've never seen anythin so beautiful!" She said and headed for the kitchen with Jack and Ennis trailing along behind her. "Did you read those papers?" she asked. "Did he, Ennis?"

Ennis grunted, "Uh huh."

"I did and I signed 'em." Jack said. "You didn't have to give me that check. You sure it won't put you in a bind?"

"No, honey; it sure won't." She said as she started another pot of coffee and Ennis and Jack sat back down at the table. "You have any questions about anythin?"

"Nothin important. I was just thinkin about the two rent houses. The first one is in my name but you helped pay for it. The second one, you grandma give to both a us. I was thinking that I'd sell that first one and keep it, and you could just keep the second one yourself. What do you think?"

"I think you'd be cheatin yourself out of a bundle a money. Grandma's house is worth twice what that first house of ours is worth. Jack, honey, you gotta think about this stuff now and be practical about money. I know you got your ranch now, and all, but you gotta keep an eye on the money or before you know it; it's gone!"

"I know, I know." Jack said, a little peeved that she was talking to him like a child. He never did care to be involved in any of the money dealings of the family or the business and left that part up to Lureen. "We got it all under control; I promise. Most a that bonus check money is going into the bank. We just need to get us some equipment and the rest we'll save."

"Equipment? You mean like we been sellin?" Lureen asked as she poured three cups of coffee and joined them at the table.

"Yeah, we're gonna need a tractor, all the implements and attachments; stuff like that." Jack said. "I wanted to show Ennis that John Deere we got in the showroom or did you sell it? That's what I wanna get. I figured I could pick 'em up at dealer's cost. That's why I wanted to sell that rent house so I could pay cash money for it."

"Well why don't you take that one? None a the stock we got is goin with the sale I got lined up. The new buyer is gonna put a Ford dealership in there." Lureen said.

"No; I couldn't do that, Lureen. Why don't you sell it back to the manufacturer? I'm sure they'd take it back. It's been on display and never turned dirt or nothin." Jack said.

"I talked to them about it and they don't want it back." Lureen said. "They're fixin to come out with the new models and won't be takin any a the old ones back from the dealers. That's their policy. Dealers, like us that buy the merchandise outright, get stuck with it if they close down. You'd be doin me a favor to take it off my hands. I'm pretty sure all the attachments are out back too. The sooner I can get rid a all that stuff, the sooner I can get moved to Dallas." She gazed lovingly at her ring as the diamond sparkled in the light.

Ennis and Jack exchanged glances. Ennis kept thinking, a brand new John Deere tractor—free?

Jack was thinking what a windfall that would be, but he'd have to haul it all up to Montana.

"You can take that old blue trailer." Lureen offered. "I tried to sell it last week but didn't have any luck. The moron only offered me fifty dollars for it. I told him to take a hike. I guess he figured with me closin down the place I'd be happy to give that stuff away."

"That's a good trailer, Lureen, and ain't but five or six years old. Don't you want to hold on to it? Maybe you can leave it over at that RV place and they can sell it for you." Jack suggested.

"No, I don't wanna do that. I already got someone comin to look at this house and Mrs. McGee, over at the real estate place, said the buyer was really interested after doing a drive-by. Two others have already taken tours so I don't expect it'll take long to sell. And the people rentin Grandma's house want to buy it so that's already in the works."

"You that anxious to get out a Childress?" Jack asked.

"I am!" Lureen answered eagerly. "LeRoy is making reservations this afternoon and we are flying to South America tomorrow morning to get the divorce and get married. I'm a little over two months along now and I'll be showin soon. I want to be long gone before that happens. We've already been shopping for a house in Dallas, so we can move into our new place and nobody needs to know that we only just got married."

"All right; all right. Looks like you got it all planned out." Jack smiled at his ever-so-efficient wife.

"I was thinkin, since Mrs. McGee is handlin the sale of the business, and my two houses; why don't I have her sell yours as well? She's wonderful at what she does, and I'm sure she'd be glad to handle the sale for you."

"That sounds good to me. That'll save me a trip over there." Jack agreed, anxious now to get his business finished up so he could head back to Montana and home.

"Here." Lureen handed him a set of keys. "Go on over to the lot and see about that John Deere. And take any of the rest of that stuff you want. It'll be a big help to me, the more you take. And that blue trailer is big enough to haul a lot. You could take some a that furniture too. I got somebody from the used furniture store comin in a couple a days but they don't pay hardly anythin." She said as she got up, placed her cup in the sink, picked up the packet of signed papers and said she was heading over to her lawyer's with them.

Jack got up and gave her a hug. "Lureen, honey; I can't thank you enough for all you done for me."

"Jack, sweetie. You know I'll always love you and you'll always be the best friend I ever had. If you ever need anythin – anythin at all—you just give me a call. I won't let you down. You never let me down and I won't never forget that." She gave him a long hug. "You take care a yourself. You're gonna keep in touch with Bobby; aren't you?"

"Absolutely." Jack assured her.

She then looked back at Ennis and said, "Bye, Ennis. I'm so glad I got to meet you. You see to it he takes care of himself." She then gave Jack a kiss on the cheek; said, "Take care, you two." and swept from the room.

Fifteen minutes later Jack and Ennis pulled up in the dealership parking lot and parked. Ennis' eyes were glued to the shiny green tractor in the display window. "This the one you talkin about?" He asked as he stared wide-eyed at the brand, spanking new, machine.

"Yeah, that's the one." Jack said as he unlocked the door and they went inside. "It comes with every kind of attachment you can imagine and we got it all in the back, still in boxes." Jack said as he stared proudly. He had wanted this machine since it first came in a few months ago but he never dreamed he'd actually have it. "With this beauty, we'd be about all set." He said and headed for the back. "I sure hope they haven't sold any of it."

Ennis followed him to the back. "Wow!" Was the only word he could think of to say as he stared at the multiple boxes.

One hour later they pulled out of the dealership, the blue trailer on behind with their tractor, implements, and assorted pieces of office furniture.

They were nearly to Amarillo before Ennis spoke. "I like Lureen. I never met anybody like her before."

"She is a sweetie; isn't she?" Jack smiled fondly.

"You gonna miss her?" Ennis asked and couldn't help the sick feeling in his stomach as he thought about how affectionate the two of them seemed together.

"Yeah, I am. Some. I gotta tell you, Cowboy. There's a special place in my heart for Lureen. We had a lot a fun together. She helped me out a lot more than I deserved, and she never did me wrong. Not one single time. And in a way, I do love her and will miss her. I wasn't never in love with her though and never said I was. And she wasn't with me neither. We knew that and we never questioned each other about it."

"I'm glad." Ennis said and he meant it. "I'm glad you was with someone who cared about you. Someone nice like Lureen."

"She give me a whole new life when she married me; and now she's givin me another whole new life by divorcin me." Jack said as he drove.

"I never believed stuff like this happened." Ennis said. "I mean, you see it all the time in movies and on TV, but I never knew anybody who's whole life was completely changed."

"Me neither." Jack said.

"The worst thing in the world happened to me with that storm, Jack. It tore my whole life away from me. Then all the sudden, I got this new life—I got you and the ranch and money. It feels like I'm in the middle of a movie."

Jack smiled, reached over and caressed the side of Ennis' neck. "This movie is our life story, Cowboy, and you're my hero."

"I ain't no hero." Ennis said, but he smiled at the thought that Jack felt that way.

"You're _my_ hero, Cowboy. And there ain't nothin you can do to change that."

"I guess I can live with that then." Ennis smiled, glad that they were finally headed home.

THE END

54


End file.
